My Hero Academia: Study Abroad!
by TallulahTasty
Summary: After establishing a series of requirements and initiating a global challenge, U.A. school's from across six continents strive for honor and glory: proving their worth alongside Japan's most prestige. With a tedious process completed, twelve students are granted certification to attend U.A. Japan for two consecutive semesters with the current alumni.
1. Prologue

The transition from winter to spring was the essence of rebirth: barren, desolate ranges blanketed by sheets of pure white comforting the decayed and slumbered, heather skies concurrent with relentless, frigid air that nipped at bare skin like a lover scorned, frosted ice lay stagnant on plausible surfaces, to rejuvenated, glistening fields that yearn for blue skies with crisp sunlight, fragrant pastels roused alongside familiar greens, tender pecks of reassuring warmth, and masqueraded depression that thrived off season's misery coils reluctantly at the mere caress of heavenly rays.

But time- a fickle obstacle, does not play well with some and must be approached appropriately: with every ending, there is a beginning.

When the air was temperate yet the ground remained frigid, Pro Heroes had sought to bring forth a concrete solution to maintain criminal activity and heighten social awareness without normalizing panic. The results, however, came to a stalemate; associates were divided, no proposal surpassed majority rule. As issues of safety and sanction remained prominent, a verdict didn't seem implausible. With all possible notions present an answer was feasible, yet with newly roused tension the Pro Heroes were reluctant to meet once more. It wasn't until talk amongst faculty at U.A. Japan the issue fell onto small, mammalian ears that the arrangement came to fruition; High Spec, a quirk of immaculate intelligence, perception, and comprehension, made this dilemma trivial.

"-It's quite simple, actually." Nezu concurred in regards to Aizawa's hesitation. "I have collaborated with multiple schools on the matter and formulated the ideal strategy." On the conference table in front of each teacher sat a manila folder with documentations inside, further detailing the upcoming events and qualifications that followed.

"As you can see, we've decided to name this initiative The International Rising Hero's Championship- rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it? We wanted to make sure to draw in as many students as possible, to make the process seem more glamorous than it is. Each willingly-participating student from their designated Hero Course will go through two types of elimination challenges: written and physical. The written portion and first two physical assessments will be left up to the schools themselves, however, the deciding factor, the final test, will be key for us; three nominated students will go up against their opposing schools in a combat-style matchup until their is only one winner for each class. Unfortunately, this may become a hassle in the near future." There was no hobbling around the subject, to admit the plan had unavoidable imperfections was difficult.

"A hassle? That doesn't sound . . . ideal." Snipe chimed in arbitrarily. "As you can guess, North American, European, African, and Asian U.A. schools are divided into geographical regions, but in certain instances, such as for U.A. South America, Middle East, Oceania, Caribbean, Mexico and Central America, there's is only one school- which may alter the selection procedure. Nevertheless, once we have our winners, we narrow down the list of candidates by having them complete the established criteria, and finally, the remaining students will receive their official certification letters and be ready to attend classes at U.A. Japan!" Despite the principal's cheery disposition, a cumbersome atmosphere permeated throughout the conference room.

"T-This seems awfully tedious, even for Pro Hero standards," Ectoplasm spoke up, "Are we even sure what we're offering is enough?"

"I have to agree," Vlad followed, "To go through all that just for two semesters plus summer vacation- I can't imagine any third year, here or anywhere, wants to spend that much longer in school just for potential opportunities in the future."

"We made the most with what we were given," Nezu's demeanor quailed, sincerity brought upon by his tone, "The qualifications were made to even out the number of participants, and while we are unsure of the turnout- being that this is the first time since U.A. Japan has offered an abroad program, we're hopeful that in itself will be enough."

"And if it's not?"

"I'm afraid our Pro Heroes may come to find they have a lot to more than they bargained for."


	2. Curiosity

In the midst of their winter vacation's final hours, the students grieved over their short period of academic relief yet taut the silver lining brought upon by the familiarity of the season; as spring semester begins, another school year soon ends. While classrooms were buzzing restlessly about the lessons learned from their recent work studies, the preparations were being produced in the confines of the school grounds to accurately welcome their foreign students.

After The International Hero's Championship commenced, the outcome had exceed expectations much further than previously anticipated. Thousands of U.A. Hero Course students from across the globe tested their might against their peers and rivals in a fierce two week campaign, yet despite each one's valiant efforts- after a grueling elimination measure, only twelve, four for each year, were able to claim victory. Inadvertently, they will administer aide for our upcoming heroes through guidance, flexibility, and endurance.

Within a week of the semester life at U.A. Japan had gone about as typical as possible, that was until today, when oddity becomes the normal.

The students of 1-A scrambled to their seats as their teacher sauntered into the classroom in his usual manner; even under personal, unusual circumstances, his disposition remained the same. "Before I make today's announcement, I'd just like to say I'm not the biggest fan of this- decision, so if you could keep your outbursts to a minimum, I'd appreciate it." With his words the entire class suddenly became attentive and still, waiting for his statement. "Since I'm not allowed to give out all the details, I'll do my best to say what I can. So, with that being said- it's been decided that as of this year, U.A. will be taking in abroad students."

There was a collective gasp throughout the room, but Mina was the first to exclaim out loud, "Abroad students?!"

"While we don't normally interact with other school's we've given them the opportunity to study here for two semesters; those who will be attending earned their spot through what we've called The International Rising Hero's Championship. To my understanding, challenges were made available to students of other U.A.'s- those who became eligible were sorted through process of elimination until a student from each year was left to represent their school, then those students competed against other U.A. schools. For example, in the United States, there are four schools: U.A. Western, Midwestern, Southern, and Northeastern. So, with that example: twelve challengers, four opponents for each year, one winner- and that's not even a guaranteed placement. But, the most extreme part of it is . . ." Aizawa's voice became melancholic, the juniors were on the edge of their seats with restlessness and impatience. "Four students-" he lamented, melodramatically sulking over his podium with his head slumped downward, "I probably could've handled one student, maybe even two, but four? Am I being punished?" In light of his theatrics, a mutual sigh of relief could be ascertained; the fear for worst had dispersed.

As class wound down for the hour, students of 1-A had a window to discuss the information they had just learned:

"The International Rising Hero's Championship, huh? Sounds pretty legit." Sero mumbled out loud to himself, cheek resting against the base of his palm while his gaze absently focused upward.

"The way Mr. Aizawa was making it sound it seemed extreme. I wonder what sort of challenges they had to do?" Shoji questioned.

"They probably don't teach the same way they do here," Jiro softly muttered, twisting her mechanical pencil between her index fingers and thumbs, "What if they're a lot stronger than we are?"

"You want to know what I think?" Kirishima interjected, fingers interlocked as his hands cradled the back of his head, "I think . . . That the foreign kids are going to super cool!"

"I was thinking the same thing!" Hagakure leaped up to enthusiastically agree.

"Just imagine all the things we'll be able to learn from them." Yaoyorozu expressed dreamily with a gleam her eye.

"Like their music!" Started off Kaminari.

"And their food!" Followed up Sato.

"Their fashion!" Aoyama prattled with enthusiasm.

"And culture." Murmured softly by Todoroki from the back row.

"What they like to do for fun!" Uraraka continued amusingly.

"International heroes-" Gushed by none other than Midoriya himself.

"Hold it!" Sternly interjected Iida, who stood up in his seat with stoic posture. "We cannot let our excitement get in the way of the important facts! These students will not only be our peers but also our guests; how we chose to represent ourselves both as a school and a country should be nothing less than ideal! Also, it is highly unlikely that our new companions will have obtained much knowledge of Japan before their arrival, therefore, they are not the only ones under pressure!"

"While I don't entirely agree on Iida's wording, he's not wrong." Yaoyorozu concurred.

"Won't communicating be an issue, too? I can't imagine they'll all be fluent in Japanese." Tokoyami ascertained in regard of Yaoyorozu.

"Oh yeah, I wasn't even really thinking about that." Ojiro mused, gingerly swaying his tail nonchalantly.

"Which is part of why I agreed with him in the first place. However, if we are to introduce them to our culture and customs we must do so carefully to prevent intense culture shock."

"Culture shock?" Questioned Tsu.

"It's a type of anxiety that people experience when visiting, doing business in, or living in a society that is different from their own, and like regular anxiety, the symptoms can be physical and psychological."

"Man, that sounds rough." Kaminari commented aimlessly.

"As long as we try to understand things from their perspective and ease them in slowly, they should feel comfortable in no time!" Yaoyorozu concluded with a hopeful smile.

"Sounds good to me."

"Totally!"

With only a few minutes left of class, the students remained grouped up, talking about the possible characteristics and similar interests the abroad students may have, except for Bakugo and Mineta, who had sat in their assigned seats for the entire duration of Homeroom; while he pretended not to care, Bakugo kept his ears open for peculiar information that may pertain to him, Mineta, on the other hand, skulked fearfully in place, trembling as he whispered to himself about the horrific blight that was to come with the invasion of the abroad students. Nobody paid mind to either of them.

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Aizawa," Midoriya quipped from near the center of the group, "You never told us when the abroad students were suppose to be here."

Rising gradually from the floor to his podium while cradled snuggly in his yellow sleeping bag, he groaned, "Monday."

For a moment, silence, then suddenly- a crowd exclamation.

"W-Wait, you don't mean this Monday-?!" Jiro blurted.

"Unfortunately . . ."

A loud whistled bellowed throughout the room, "Class 1-A!" Proclaimed Iida, "It would appear we only have three academic days and a weekend to prepare for our foreign guests! Let us proceed normally during school hours so that we may have an appropriate amount of time during the evenings to plan accordingly!"

Class dismissed.


	3. Presentation

Despite their efforts, there was very little the juniors were able to accomplish due to a school-issued field trip that was to last the entire weekend so that renovations could be made to slightly expand various campus structures. It was that same weekend that the abroad students were flying in from their respected countries, giving them the time to explore the designated grounds, settle into their assigned spaces, and meet the other students that arrived alongside them. During the construction of the additional floor for the dormitories, the abroad students had temporarily established housing in the Faculty Dorms, where they not only became close in a short period of time, but warmly opened up to a doe-eyed Eri who was awed by their cultures, their abilities, and their kindness- gifting her small trinkets they had either brought from home or made using their quirks so that she may never forget their time together.

Finally, Monday was here, and the level of excitement throughout the school could hardly be detained. Students were in a frenzy as they rushed to find the ideal spot to view the ceremony, wedging themselves between one another just to achieve perfection. The commotion was unwavering, their eagerness was unrelenting, it wasn't until Present Mic made his appearance that everyone was frantic to calm one another down.

"Boys and girls of U.A. Japan! Are you ready to meet your new classmates- the winners of The International Rising Hero's Championship?!" The crowd was restrained, the anticipation was enormous. "Uh— well, anyways! Let's begin roll call, starting off with the seniors of 3-A!"

"First, let's give a marharban: from U.A. Middle East, Saudi Arabian hero- Bassam al-Qahtani!"  
**Bassam appears with a tall, buff anthropomorphic build and smooth, hydrated skin of cool-colored hues. His sharp, square jaw line compensates for his large, black fish eyes, open nostrils, and wide mouth that inherently shows giant, interlocking, blade-like teeth. He has no hair on his head nor visible ears, but an elevated, pointed fin along the center of his head down to the base of his neck and a similarly-shaped, shorter fin on each side of his head. On his left hand are terse claws and webbed fingers, on his right, however, just below the elbow was a stub of an arm that is no longer there. His tail is stout but the fins on his tail appear neater than those on his head.**  
Tightly pressed in his U.A. Japan uniform, Bassam raised his stub arm towards the crowd; with a toothy grin and small wiggle to his side head fins, he cheered, "Sabaahul khayr!"

"Next, give your best bonjour: from U.A. Western Europe, French hero- Fatima Kamal!"  
**Fatima is a short, deep olive-skinned girl appearing to have a slender frame; her uniform had been tailored to properly conform to her Islamic faith. Her full, heart-shaped face is complimented by her simple, traditionally styled hijab that flows down to the shoulders and below the chest. Her indigo eyes, thick, trimmed eyebrows, broad nose, and bowed lips are pronounced by cool-colored makeup and accentuated neutral skin undertones. She has one noticeable facial piercing, a gold stud on her right nostril.**  
Bringing her hands up to her chest and gently pressing them together, showing off a primed manicure and various gold rings, Fatima shyly spoke in a gentle, quiet voice, "Enchanté~"

"And hello: from U.A. Northeastern, American hero, Chelsea Weisz!"  
**Chelsea is a tall, fair-skinned girl with a fit, feminine physique, diamond face shape, and medium blonde hair. Her hair is tied in a loose bow with a satin red ribbon, styled into a milkmaid braid and bangs messily side-swept along her brow line with two chunky strands of hair lopped downward on both sides of her face. Her brown eyes, moderate, arched eyebrows, sturdy nose, distinct chin, and thin lips are accentuated with neutral-colored makeup and finely-blended warm skin undertones. Her uniform is paired with white tights instead of the standard knee-high socks.**  
As she skipped along the stage, Chelsea's medium-sized, glistening Star of David earrings dangled as she moved; striking a fun pose with a bright smile, she exclaimed, "How's it going?!"

"And finishing for class 3-A, let's say salaam alaykum: from U.A. East Africa, Somalian hero, Omar Muhammad-Najjar!"  
**Omar is a very tall, richly dark-skinned boy with cool skin undertones, thin build, and disguised appearance. His long, oval-shaped face is paired with large, outward ears and shaved head that is closely cut to the scalp. His weathered skin, deep sunken and black under eye are brightened by a dark brown eye of warm hues; the majority of his face is covered with a black, spandex mask that obscures the entirety of his lower face- including his nose and mouth, right ear and eye. The mask cuts off straight at the brow line, exposing the forehead and top of his head, and extends down the neck, completely covering the skin; an eyehole on the left side is altered into an open eye mask starting from the center of his face and looping under his left earlobe.**  
The pace of his walk was menacing, his aura brought chills and his overall presence- unnerving, yet when he began to speak, Omar's deep, soft voice conferred frail nerves, "H-Ha cabsanin."

"Give it up for our abroad students of 3-A!"

"We can't wait to meet you!" The four shouted while grouped together closely and flashing double (except for Bassam) peace signs, which followed with enthusiastic cheers, especially from the appointed class.

"One class down, only two more to go! 1-B, it's your time to shine!"

"Starting off with a bonjou: from U.A. Caribbean, Haitian hero- Estelle Bonaly!"  
**Estelle is a medium-deep skinned girl of average height, slim build, and dark brown hair. Her hair is long, thick, curly, and accessorized with small clips and ties of various colors and textures; her bangs are pinned up in a messy bun and secured at the top of her head. Her brown eyes, thick, arched eyebrows, full nose, and ample lips, naturally accommodate to her square face-shape, round cheeks, and freckled complexion with cool skin undertones. Her uniform is paired with white ankle socks instead of the standard knee-high socks.**  
With the glitz and clinking of the jewelry around her wrists and neck- and swaying earrings, Estelle made herself impossible to ignore; everything about her person was dazzling. "Koman ou ye?!" She sang in an unabashedly quirky tone of voice.

"Up next, it's time to say g'day: from U.A. Oceania, Australian hero, Michelle Cox!"  
**Michelle is a very tall, fair-skinned person with lanky, rubber hose proportions. Their black hair is a short, pixie-style cut with in-closed, rounded edges and two tailed colics at the base of their skull. They have rounded cheeks, large round ears and black eyes iconically reminiscent in the silent and pre-golden era of American cartoons, an oblong, button nose slightly upturned, and simple, thin lips; other obviously noticeable features include comically large feet and gloved hands. Their current uniform is paired with the standard academic skirt and knee-high socks, accessorized with big pearl stud earrings.**  
In a harsh, neutral voice, Michelle whipped out double finger guns as they made their appearance, "That's Mickey for ya' bastards."

"Please don't swear in your introductions!"

"It's a form of endearment!"

"R-Right, uh- as I was about to say: and now, let's give a big hola: From U.A. South American, Chilean hero, Javier Montañero!"  
**Javier is a short, plump boy of deep tan skin, warm skin undertones with dark brown hair and eyes. His hair is short, voluminous, and lightly curly; his bangs push more towards his left side and are aligned with his brow line while a thicker portion of curls slightly obscure his ears; his earlobes are noticeably gauged to one inch. His chubby cheeks are extolled by his wide eyes, plush, button nose and fuller bottom lip. His current school uniform is layered with a wool chamanto on top of his blazer and matching chullo worn loosely on his head.**  
His radiating appearance brightly shined through his attitude; a tender smile brought forth a pleasant, delicate voice, "Buenos días~!"

"Lastly, let out another hola: from U.A. Mexico and Central America, Mexican hero, Ximena Delgado!"  
**Ximena appears with a long, muscular anthropomorphic build and sleek, scaly skin of brown to pale green hues. Her back has a dark, diamond pattern, with wide white and shorter black bands around her tail; she has no visible human legs- her lower half functions and resembles that of a Mojave rattlesnake. Her torso and arms are adjacent to the female human structure (minus breasts and nipples), but texturally keeled throughout her entire body. Her head simulates the design of a pit viper: a triangular-shaped head distinct from the neck, vertically elliptical pupils, slit nose, and hollow fangs that rotate back and forth on short maxillary bones at the front of the mouth. Aside from her midsection anatomy, her other human characteristic is a full head of hair; the color is similar to the brown tinge of her scales, her bangs are side swept to the left with two thin, loose strands of hair on each side of her head, the length is wrapped in a french braid. Her uniform is the standard female attire without socks or shoes.**  
While her gait was sluggish due to her body mass, the slither of her tail moved elegantly with precision. In her meek, genial voice, Ximena hesitantly addressed the audience, "E-Encantada . . . !"

"Let's hear it for our abroad students of 1-B!"

"We're so glad to be here!" The juniors hollered as they piled close together with each of their arms draped over the others shoulders, receiving a similar reaction from the crowd but with a spirited roar of passion from class 1-B.

"Last but not least- the class with the final piece, 1-A!"

"Beginning with a hallo: also from U.A. Western Europe, Dutch hero, Arjan van Haestregt!"  
**Arjan is a very tall, slim-fit boy of pale white skin with cool undertones, and uncanny fashion choices. He has no visible hair; mapping out the scalp, metal spikes, ranging from three to five inches in length, are attentively arranged in a pencil stripe pattern. Contrasting with large ears, he has a diamond-shaped face, hooded, blue eyes, a petite nose, and thin lips. He has nine noticeable facial piercings: two eyebrow piercings for both eyebrow, one left nostril, and two piercings at the bottom corner lip on both sides. Each ear has a lobe and two upper lobe piercings, but the left ear has a double helix piercing; a chain from his helix piercing hooks over to his nostril piercing.**  
Just like Omar, the feeling Arjan gave off when he appeared was the same- menacing, chilling, unnerving, but something wasn't quite right. He didn't acknowledge his class nor did he speak, and when he did face the audience, he sneered towards them with a critical stare, "Tch."

"Following next, let's say ẹ n lẹ: from U.A. West Africa, Nigerian hero, Yemi Ogunsheye!"  
**Yemi is a short, petite automation of a feminine build with indisputable facial features, skin, or hair. Her intricate design appears handcrafted with precision quality: the body's plates consists of a glossy, white coating, while unshelled pieces in between durable structures are protected by thinly-layered pads covered by high-tech fabric. The additional pieces that appear evident throughout her body give complexity to her bionic form. Her only glimpse of color is a yellow, translucent, glass dome that occupies the majority of her head piece. Her uniform is paired with a mini skirt instead of the standard length skirt and loose socks rather than knee-high socks; her school issued blazer is replaced with a school sweater and her dress shirt is slightly unbuttoned.**  
Despite her appearance, her jaunt was reticent and lithe- almost as though she was walking on air. Similar to Arjan, Yemi did not speak, she didn't even make a sound.

"And holler aloha: also from U.A. Oceania, Native Hawaiian hero, Keali'i Ho'omalu!"  
**Keali'i is a very tall, broad, deep tan-skinned boy with neutral skin undertones, impish hair, and masqueraded facial features. His square face shape is concealed by a finely-carven, wooden half mask of a large grimacing mouth, accentuated teeth, stuck out tongue, and snub nose; a spandex half mask is worn underneath the wooden one of similar color. His green, almond-shaped eyes and thick eyebrows are slightly obscured by his hairstyle; a long, dense mohawk held up by sections of small rubber bands combed to mimic continuation overall.**  
Comfortably snug in his school uniform, his brooding demeanor was no different than the other's before him, and like them, Keali'i was completely silent.

"And finally, our last student on the list! Give your loudest hello: from U.A. Western, American hero, Shelby Pascal!"  
**Shelby is a toned, full-figured girl of average height, fair skin with warm skin undertones, and ghoulish presences. Her hair is white of ankle-length styled in a mock Hime Cut: sleek, straight hair curved inwards and trimmed, straight level bangs that hide most of her heart-shaped face. Her facial feature from the nose cartilage up are not visible- eyes, ears, or any distinct features. Her uniform is paired with a mini skirt instead of the standard length skirt and loose socks rather than knee-high socks; her school issued blazer is replaced with a school sweater and her dress shirt is slightly unbuttoned.**  
The motion of her walk was nothing short of haunting; what looked physically human moved like an empty husk of someone who once was. It was no surprise that she too, did not make a sound.

"Shout out to our abroad students of 1-A! . . . ?"

They did not gather, nor pose, sign, or even move. The four merely stood there, gravely staring down at their class without a single word to pass their lips. The crowd found themselves unable to react, even in intimidation, but no class felt more shaken than 1-A who had spent the entire presentation of their classmates anxious; those who shared the stage looked at each other with concerned disheartenment.

"Once again, boys and girls of U.A. Japan, meet your new classmates! These twelve individuals had fought tooth and nail through impossible challenges alongside hundreds of their own peers and rivals only to come out on top, proving they're the best of the best- worthy enough to call themselves rising hero champiooooons! Present Mic: out!"

When the microphone had been dropped, the students had a moment to mingle amongst each other and give proper introductions. As they made their way off-stage, they were immediately surrounded by their eager new acquaintances.

"Why do you wear a mask?" Asked Nejire, who got close to Omar and pointed at his mask.

"Quirk accident."

"I'm sorry! -What happened to your arm?" Nejire asked Bassam, still pointing.

"A shark bit it off!"

"Oh no! -Hey, did you do your make-up? It looks pretty!" She questioned Fatima, up close and personal.

"I did! Thank you!"

"Do you think we can be friends?" Inquired Nejire to Chelsea.

"I'd love to!"

"Yay!" She cheered, throwing her arms around Chelsea's neck and gently pulling her weight, receiving a warm smile and light back pat in return.

Sticking her tongue out through the notch in her lip, Ximena's mouth scrunched in disgust, "H-Hey, do you guys smell that?"

"Smell what?" The three asked simultaneously.

"That stench. . ."

"Well, it truly is an honor to finally meet you . . .~" Monoma leered as he haughtily presented himself ahead of everyone else.

"I found it."

"O-Oh. . ."

"Hey, aren't you hot with all those clothes on?" Kaibara asked Javier in regards to his wool hat and poncho.

"Hm? No, not really, besides, my abuela made these for me so I wouldn't feel homesick!"

"Your what?"

"My grandma!"

"Sounds nice." Chimed in Tsuburaba, who overheard from a close proximity.

"So w-wait, are you like- an actual snake?!" Tetsutetsu babbled, failing to ask politely.

"Don't ask like that!" Tokage came in to chide her dimwitted classmate.

"O-Oh! I'm, I uh- . . . well I . . . !" Ximena couldn't get the correct words out, she perished easily to her own shyness.

"Yup! A real, genuine rattlesnake!" Came up Estelle from behind, wrapping an arm around Ximena's shoulders and faintly squeezing her arm in a comforting manner.

"A rattlesnake, huh? . . . Wait, does that mean you can do the thing?!" Komori queried with elation.

"T-The thing?"

"With your tail?"

"You mean this?" She asked before vibrating her rattle to make an audible noise.

"The thing!" Yelled the entirety of class 1-B.

Ximena made a small squeal in confusion, "An' you were worried people were gonna be afraid of you." Mickey remarked, bumping her elbow against her keeled arm.

1-A stared at them, the abroad students of their class in turn reciprocated, they stood in silence. As one, they hesitantly inched towards the four, but they responded by inching away from them, and continued on for a few more step sequences until- "They're completely ignoring us!"


	4. Skeptical

After the introduction ceremony, the school day had begun right on schedule, though not all were happy about the inevitable. Upon entering Homeroom, the room had been arrange differently to accommodate the guest students; four desks had been added creating a row of five, making the space more compact. Those of 1-A all sat in their original assigned seats, however, those who were in the back now sat in the forth row, leaving the abroad students the ones sitting in the back- this did not bode well, either.

Yaoyorozu's spine felt stark with Yemi's presence just over her shoulder.

Todoroki perceived to hold his breath in suspicion that an abrupt action would cause a panicked reaction from Shelby.

Sato didn't dare move, not when Keali'i was in arms reach of him.

And Uraraka, who felt queasy from anxiety, wished she could gravitate away from Arjan.

Unfortunately, for them, they paid no mind to any of them and were preoccupying themselves with meaningless distractions. This was how they proceeded to act when anyone attempted to interact with them.

Back at the dormitories, the students were enjoying their downtime as they typically did, but the topic of conversation still revolved around their new classmates- who were not seen leaving the primary building nor entering the dormitory.

Mina sighed, "Are we do something wrong? I thought we were doing exactly what Momo told us to do."

"Maybe it's not us, what if it's that culture shock thing that she mentioned?" Remarked Kaminari.

"I don't think so," came in Yaoyoruzu from the other side of the couch, "Judging from the way they look and act around us, it appears they don't want anything to do with us."

"But why?" Kirishima interjected, "It's only been one day, we haven't met them yet!"

"Perhaps this is considered normal where they're from?" Inquired Tokoyami.

"I don't think this is normal anywhere!" Hagakure blubbered as she fidgeted in her seat.

"She's right," Yaoyoruza pointed out, "I mean- I know not all heroes are suppose to be like All Might, but even Tokoyami . . ."

"I'm right here, you know?"

"T-That's not what she's implying!" Blurted Kaminari.

"You know what?" Mina declared as she stood up from the couch, elbows bent and fists clenched with determination, "No one should feel like they have to hide!"

"W-Where are you going, Mina?" Hagakure asked as she followed Mina to the elevator.

"Huh? That's weird," she noted as she pressed the six button on the elevator panel, "The button doesn't seem to do anything."

"Wha-? Are you sure?" Kirishima questioned as him and everyone else on the couch got up to inspect the issue.

"Yeah I'm sure!"

"Oh hey, it really isn't working."

"See?!"

"Here, Let me give it a _shock_-"

"Seriously?"

As Kaminari went to press the button, the small amount of concentrated electricity he sent out through his finger came back to him. "H-Hey! My electricity! It didn't go through!" In the midst of the commotion, more students gathered to investigate.

"You know, we haven't learned what the abroad students quirks are yet." Commented Midoriya.

"Could it be possible- that while we were on our field trip, they tampered with some things?" Todoroki propositioned.

"But why go through all the trouble of doing something like that?" Followed up Asui.

"T-That cannot be along the lines of residential policy!" Iida retorted, flailing about in his usual manner.

While everyone was articulating this peculiar situation, Jiro audited the elevator panel closely, but as she went to use her earphone jacks, she recoiled in surprise. "Well they must've done something- as soon as I went to plug in there was this weird buzzing noise."

"That doesn't sound normal." Sero pointed out.

"Shoji, do you think you could look up on the sixth floor and see what's going on?" Uraraka appealed.

"I could, but I'm not sure how much good it would do." He faltered.

"So then Momo was right, they really don't want anything to do with us." Mina lamented.

"Man, how dense can this many people be?"

"Kacchan."

"What are you getting at Bakugo?" Demanded Yaoyoruza.

"Haven't any of you idiots been listening to anything anyone's been saying? Don't you get it?!" Bakugo had shifted the attention on him- preaching from the center of the group, his annoyance pent up, "They aren't ignoring us because they don't like us, they're ignoring us because they think they're better than us!"

"Better than us?" Sato averred out loud.

"Don't you think you're over exaggerating?" Todoroki criticized.

"Tch, that's rich coming from you, Half 'n Half! Look, if people started treating you differently just because you won some stupid contest, then you'd act like them too; if you're going faun all over me, I'd expect you to be kissing my ass!"

"Bakugo!" Chided Iida.

"So what is that suppose to mean?" Jiro interjected.

"All I'm saying is- if they're going to look down on us thinking they're stronger, smarter, and faster than we are, then fine! That's the game they want to play? Then let's play!"

"W-We can't just treat them like our enemy-!"

"Shut up, Deku! You don't actually expect them to cooperate with us, do you? Those bastards are going to drag our entire class down because they see us as inferior, and if you don't believe me, then you're truly the dumbest people I've ever met!"

"They wouldn't to something like that . . . would they?" Asui contemplated.

"T-That's just not manly!"

"More importantly, it's outrageous!" Iida claimed vociferously, "If that were the case, their attitude would also cause them to fail- meaning they would be reprimanded firmly and receive harsh consequences for their actions!"

"Fine, don't listen, but when you're all on the brink of expulsion because you're putting your faith in some pompous nobodies, don't come crying to me asking for help!" It was with that final statement that Bakugo made his exit, bunting through his classmates to get to the elevator and make his way up to his room.

"H-He didn't really mean all that, did he?" Yaoyoruza spoke, breaking the silence.

"We are talking about Bakugo here." Informed Tokoyami.

"Even so, Iida's right." Midoriya defended, "They're not going to risk being sent home over something like that after everything they've been through."

"I have to agree with Midoriya; even if they don't end up liking us, we still have to work together." Todoroki interceded.

"But Deku," Uraraka advised softly, "What if it turns out Bakugo is right?"

The room fell silent once more, concerned, hopeful eyes pinned on Midoriya, who was also at a loss, "I- . . . I don't know."

"They'll turn us into dog food yet." Shuddered a haunting voice from amongst the group, a cowering Mineta who took refuge between his classmates.

"Dude, you are not helping!" Sero lilted.


	5. Domination

The next day had gone exactly as the day before: nobody had seen them exit, enter, or in between and were the first to arrive in Homeroom, sitting in their seats in silence while ignoring their surroundings. The atmosphere that manifested with them, whether individually or together, was uninviting and suffocating, making approaching them feel tedious- unlike yesterday, due to last night's qualm, the students were more hesitant to approach them.

In Foundational Hero Studies, "I can't wait to see all you on the training field today!" Delighted All Might with a toothy grin, "Since this is the first time you'll be seeing each other in action, we're going to do things a bit differently: you four, I'd like you to go out and set-up somewhere," with his request, the abroad students had started walking out towards the direction All Might pointed, "As for the rest of you, I'd like for you to capture those four- preferably using what you've learned from your recent work study." The students looked at each other in confusion, unsure of his inquiry.

"A-Are you sure about that, All Might?" Asked Iida with his hand raised in the air.

"Doesn't that seem unfair?" Uraraka followed up.

"Take this as an advantage, to test yourselves in another mock villain scenario."

A few minutes later, the students had grouped up and embarked on their assignment, still troubled by the requirements; All Might kept his back to them, only peering over his shoulder, _"You kids have already gone through so much, you're on your way to becoming great heroes, but, we may need you sooner than expected- we need you ready."_

"If the foreign students aren't familiar with their way around, they should be easy to find, shouldn't they?" Questioned Todoroki.

"It's kind of a big place though, they could be anywhere." Intervened Mina.

"We don't even know how they get around without anyone noticing." Sato commented.

"Which is why we must ensure all possible outcomes in order to achieve success; even though they're only playing villains, we must act accordingly." Iida specified.

"How do we know they're *playing* villains?" Aoyama shuddered as he mumbled to himself softly.

"Just because they're strange doesn't mean they're bad- they got into U.A. just like we did." Midoriya protested towards the group.

"Tch, of course you'd stick up for those weirdos." Grumbled Bakugo.

"Can we just focus on our assignment right now, please?" Yaoyoruza sighed, "We'll be out here all day if we don't come up with a plan."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Shoji spoke up suddenly.

"You found them already?" Tokoyami inquired.

"I don't know if I'd take credit in finding them," he said humbly, moving his appendages into a fixated position, "They're right over there, sitting on top of the metal box next to that building."

"I guess you can't lost if you don't go very far." Kaminari commented while scratching his head.

"And you said they're just sitting there?" Replied Jiro, "I thought I heard that weird buzzing again."

"That doesn't surprise me." Kirishima pointed out.

"So what's our plan?" Asui croaked, "If we don't know what their quirks are- but if they're just sitting there . . ."

"Are we assuming they don't care?" Sero interjected.

"It could be a trap." Speculated Todoroki.

"It's not easy to tell with them." Brought up Tokoyami.

"Regardless," Iida started, "I believe I've come up an effective strategy, everybody please listen- . . . !"

As they idly sat together, they kept their eyes out for suspicious movements or activity, but saw nothing that warranted a response, their ears however- with a small nudge from Shelby, Yemi slowly rose her arms to her chest, crossing them over each other with her hands pointed out and index finger and thumb touching.

Suddenly, from all directions, the students launched their attack: from above- Tokoyami, Sero, Bakugo, Ojiro, Uraraka, and Asui dove in from all directions while Kaminari, Kirishima, Midoriya, Koda, Jiro, Shoji, Mina, Mineta, Yaoyoruza, Sato, Todoroki, Iida, Hagakure, and Aoyama charged in from ground level. Those who launched projectiles attacks were surprised when met with a large earth wall that took their blows without much visible damage, however, those who got into close proximity from the four were bounced back- students with heavier attacks were thrown farther, crashing into buildings and other scenery. Hagakure, Yaoyoruza, Mineta, Mina, and Ojiro were not effected by the mysterious phenomenon, but did not get far, regardless; as they got closer, the earth wall had contorted around them, trapping them in a thick layer of natural debris that quickly cracked back up open, flinging the five back towards the rest of the group.

As the wall crumbled to the ground, the others took the opportunity to group back up as fast as they could; the thick clouds of dust started to disperse, the only difference worth noting was Arjan- who had his hands placed firmly on the ground while Keali'i, Shelby, and Yemi remained unmoved. Once the ground had return to it's normal state, Arjan hopped back up onto the box with his group and sat down, his pose uncaring and rebellious; despite the others regathering around them, they did not issue an counterattacks.

"W-What was that?! What happened?!" Exclaimed Kirishima.

"It's a lot stronger than it looks." Midoriya groaned, tightly gripping onto his shoulder.

"That wall was no joke, either." Ojiro fretted as he wiped the dirt away from his eyes.

"I seriously thought we were going to crushed into juice!" Mineta blubbered.

"Those of you with long-range quirks, you are the only ones capable of attacking! Quickly!" Iida commanded.

Kaminari, Tokoyami, Sero, Bakugo, Jiro, Shoji, Mina, Mineta, Yaoyoruza, Todoroki, and Aoyama collectively unleashed their attacks that made hast towards them, but in a mere instant, they backfired. With one hard, vertical swipe of an arm from Keali'i, Jiro's vibrations and Kamnari's electricity remained ineffective, Sero's tape and Shoji's appendages were sliced, Tokoyami's Dark Shadow, Mina's acid, Mineta's attachments, Yaoyoruza's weaponry were sliced in two, Bakugo's explosive particles and Todoroki's ice were fragmented and pitched in the opposite direction, causing slight injury to the larger group, and while Aoyama's laser had pasted through, the four had evaded the attack by linking arms and jumping higher and faster than any quirkless being could.

"What the hell are you doing?! Fight us, you damn cowards!" Bakugo demanded as he launched another burst of explosives, receiving the same results- this time, however, Todoroki acted quicker and put up an ice wall to shield his classmates.

"K-Knock it off!" Uraraka cried out.

"You're going to us killed!" Midoriya shouted.

"Shut up!" Snarled Bakugo.

"Stop fighting!" Grumbled Yaoyoruza.

With a frustrated yell, Bakugo went at them again with stronger force; with confusion and anxiety built up, others followed suit with their quirks and met the same failure- this time working against both Keali'i and Arjan who made their opposition look weak. The group had reached it's breaking point, no control could be taken, with what they were capable of they went for, overworking themselves for futile efforts.

Just when things had felt they had gone into a stalemate, the abroad students were to show their true potential offensively. With a swift, downward movement of her arms, Yemi had thrown back every student a few miles out of their current location, demolishing anything in their path with great force, then, in the blink of an eye, Keali'i appeared, only to disappear the moment he changed the trajectory of those still airborne with a vertical sweep of his arm, and finally, when those who had crashed inside the abandoned office building ceased motion, Keali'i returned with Arjan under his arm in his hold, keeping him in place as Arjan pressed his palms against the building and clapped them in a rhythmic pattern; the building shook, and the floors started to cave in one by one.

Suddenly, cutting through terrified pleas, a sharp whistle could be heard from above which prompted Keali'i and Arjan to look up- having their quirks erased as Mr. Aizawa glided in to the rescue, "Alright, that's enough!" He loudly condemned as he went to assess his students physical conditions, leaving those who were capable to exit training fielding on their own.

Despite the destruction and magnitude use of their quirks, everyone had come out conscious with little internal damage; the amount of cuts, bruises, and sore muscles was inured to the impact. Back at the entrance, the students all stood together groaning and mumbling in pain as All Might stood in front of them, a condoling expression upon his skeletal face, "Even if you didn't successfully compete the assignment, I'm still proud of how far you've all come. Please don't be discouraged by your progress, there are things even your new classmates haven't gone through- meaning there's plenty of growth all of you still have to do." Meanwhile, as he was comforting the students, Mr. Aizawa stood far out scolding the abroad students, who did not appear to care for what he had to say.

"They didn't get a scratch on them." Sought Asui.

"Or even break a sweat." Followed Kirishima.

"We got tossed around like trash." Wept Hagakure.

"I don't want to be the one who told you so," Bakugo began, suppressing the urge to shout, "But like I said yesterday, they don't give a damn about us, they never will; to them, we're nothing."

Midoriya didn't want to believe it, he wanted to refuse Bakugo's words, his entire person was built on the foundation of heroism and what it meant to be one thanks to his idol, All Might, but as he looked to his hero for preservation, all he saw was the daunting definition of a man who's life was slowly depleting, unable to look his own successor in the eye. He was crushed.


	6. Unease

A couple weeks had pasted and the relationship between the abroad students and class 1-A hadn't changed; they actively avoided interactions as vigorously as possible and continued to feat all communication. However, when it came to themselves and the other abroad students, they participated in conversations and even group activities; their demeanor hadn't changed, but proved they had the ability to be civil.

No one from 1-A could comprehend how their junior and senior peers went out of their way to successfully include them, how they had gotten close in so little time, and how their attention gravitated towards them with ease; they always sat together at lunch, responded when being called over, grouping up in between school periods, allowing themselves to be in close proximity, even platonically touched- all while their facial and body expressions remained stoic.

During today's joint training with 1-B, "We're almost a month into the new semester and you all still haven't worked together on an assignment," Dictated Aizawa as he stood in front of his students, "As much as it annoys me to do this, you're leaving me no choice but to assert my authority as an educator: I will be choosing your partners for today." There was a joint gasp followed by an overwhelming sense of dread from the entire class. "You know the drill," He mentioned while holding out a small basket of folded papers inside, "To make this easier on myself, come up a draw a number, whoever you match with is who you're with- and no, you can't switch with someone else, but you're more than welcome to complain as much as you'd like."

The number of potential partners began to dwindle as soon as others had paired with their matches; sighs of relief could be heard as students found themselves content being with familiar company. For the select few, however-

While Hagakure scurried about looking for her numerical match, she did not notice the large, hulking Native Hawaiian in her peripheral attempting to grab her attention; not a moment too soon she finally sensed his presences, letting a small shriek. "Eek! I- haha, I-I mean, hey K-Keali'i, looks like we're partners today! Heh." He didn't say anything in response but he did tilt his head to the side in confusion due to her reaction.

As Yaoyoruza questioned her peers about their number slips, she steered clear of the abroad students as politely as possible but found she may have been partnered with one of them. Without getting too close she looked over at each of their papers until she had saw her match, and not much to her surprise, her suspensions were correct. "Yemi," she hesitantly called out, her mind sorting through all possible scenarios before speaking, "L-Let's work together, please!" Without an interface, it was difficult to determine Yemi's expressions, however, it appeared she did not object to Yaoyoruza's request.

Todoroki still had much personal growth to do to become the person and hero he wants to be, so when he had come to terms with the fact he may be teamed up with someone who may truly despise him for no apparent reason, he found himself struggling socially. Once he had found he was paired up with Shelby, conflicting emotions stirred within him. Was he this bad before Midoriya's impact? "Shelby," he abruptly spoke, not expect her to listen and turn her attention to him; as soon as Shelby focused on Todoroki, he couldn't find the words to continue his thought.

Midoriya had sought to find his partner amongst his classmates, hoping that he would not end up working with one of the abroad students. Unfortunately, for him, that was not the case. The instant he glanced over at them he saw his exact number in Arjan's hand, who happened to look over at Midoriya at that exact moment and see the expressive fear on his face. Arjan was perturbed, to say the least, but he wasn't oblivious as to why.


	7. Bemusement

One of the first teams to go out was Iida and Ojiro verses Ximena and Tokage. Both students from class 1-A were quick on their feet and evaded obstacles without hesitancy, however, with Tokage's and Ximena's strengths combined, the boys soon found themselves in a reptilian conundrum; because of Tokage's quirk, she was able to follow the duo every step of the way, contracting Ximena with strategic updates the closer they approached their base location. When Tokage purposely miscalculated, making herself present and drawing awareness from their opponents, Ximena struck from the darkness faster than they could fully articulate; thanks to her subfamily, crotaline, her infrared-detecting organs made any warm-blooded being impossible to miss.

As she opened her mouth, her hollow fangs erected and spritzed venom onto Ojiro's neck and torso, causing an intense burning sensation that stunned him, allowing to Tokage to capture him before Iida had time to react. Iida, on the other hand, was stopped in his tracks by Ximena's muscular tail and coiled along the length until they were face to face, "¿Qué pasa, cariño?" She giggled as she tensed her grip around his body, flicking her tongue near him, "I like your hero costume, you look almost like a knight, but I have to wonder- is it stronger than I am?" With that, Ximena curled her tail tighter and tighter until his costume had completely cracked open from the neck down, leaving him completely vulnerable.

After the two 1-A students were bound and apprehended, the girls celebrated;

"You were amazing! Your quirk is so stronger!" They exclaimed together, their hands occupying each other's while the stood cheek to cheek.

"H-Hey! What about me?! What's going to happen to me?!" Whined Ojiro, who's exposed skin was searing and blistering.

"Y-You'll be okay!" Ximena explained, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to catch you in my mouth because you could've accidentally suffocate o-or punctured by my fangs!"

There was a moment of silence, and then, " . . . This is fine." Ojiro solemnly agonized.

Ximena cried, "I'm so sorry!"

A few more teams had filtered out before it was Keali'i and Hagakure's team verses Pony and Honenuki. Neither of the pairs were in fighting distance at the start of their assignment, leaving them to formulate plans on their own accord. Hagakure, however, had no idea how to address Keali'i given that they have never spoken or could ever be heard speaking, so while the hunkered down in a confined space she attempted to think of a strategy, "Let's see- Pony has her horns, and Honenuki can make things soft, so . . . " As she mumbled to herself, Keali'i got her attention by holding out his hand, repeating the motion until Hagakure did the same; reaching into his pocket he pulled out a small tuning fork and placed it in her hand.

"O-Oh! I know what this is, but why-?" Before she could ask her question, he pointed at her then made pulling motion at his hands and feet, following through until she verbally responded, "You want me to go completely invisible . . . ?" Keali'i gestured to the building next to them, pointed at the tuning fork, then made a diagonal striking action with his arm. "And then go inside and hit this," he held up three fingers, followed by balling his hand into a fist and slamming it against the palm of his other hand, "Three times- hard?" Finishing his thought by walking away his index and middle fingers, "Then leave . . . B-But wait, what are you going to do?" Hagakure asked, watching as Keali'i placed his hand on his chest- as if reassuring her she had nothing to worry about. ". . . Well, I-I suppose we don't have anything else to go on."

"Hey Pony, you know anything about this guy?"

"Other than his quirk is similar to Tsuburaba's? Nah, either way, we got this."

As Hagakure went over the plan over and over again in her head, she was careful to follow through subsequently. Once their opponents were in earshot, she proceeded to hit the large metal pipes with the instrument which emitted a piercing pitch that soon faded and echoed throughout the building; the acoustics created by the steel fork made calculating a direct position difficult to determine. The sound, which also spooked Hagakure, caused her to run while the other's covered their ears in their standing positions; when the vibrations started to die down, she struck the pipes in the same manner as before, completely disorienting Pony and Honenuki.

"Argh, what's going on?! This isn't one of their quirks, is it?!"

"Just get us out of here, Honenuki!"

When Honenuki pressed his palms onto the concrete walls to activate his quirk, a sharp whistle bellowed inside from the top of the structure, where a strong force of air launched them up out of the building only to grabbed by none other than Keali'i- the same being who caused them to be flung into the air. With both of them held in his arms at their waists, he lanced himself in Hagakure's estimated direction using his quirk and spiraled downward as Pony and Honenuki yelled. Noticing that a screaming, spinning torpedo of air was darting towards her, Hagakure screeched and attempted to outrun the impact, however, everything had happened so fast she didn't know how she ended up cradled in Keali'i's big, strong arms while being shielded from the burst of violent winds.

Hagakure couldn't help but to ogle at the majestic way Keali'i's long hair blew through the wind, the genuine concern in his eyes, the warmth of his body- he had actually gone out of his way to protect her from the impact. Behind them, Pony and Honenuki were flat on the ground as they attempted to help each other get back on their feet, that was until a commercial dumpster slammed down on them from above, trapping them inside. After letting go of Hagakure, Keali'i hopped over to the dumpster, placing the tips of his finger against the metal, then with one abrupt punch he created an opening in the bottom big enough to pull out each opponent by their belts; Keali'i delivered the defeated upper classmen to Hagakure so that she may properly tie them up.

"H-How are you so fast?" Pony whined.

"I think you knocked the wind out of me, dude." Honenuki lamented.

"W-We did it, Keali'i! Your plan worked!" Hagakure cheered, going in for a high five then pulling back cautiously as she caught herself in her excitement.

Keali'i, just as he was finishing fixing his hair, gingerly slapped his palm against hers, reciprocating the high five without saying a word then strolling ahead of her.

" . . . Eeeehhh?!"

Right after the previous fight, was the match up between Sero and Shoji verses Javier and Bondo; four heroes, both teams with adjacent quirks, ready for one interesting battle. Sero and Shoji lunged through the concrete landscape searching for wherever their opponents positioned themselves, however, it didn't take long for them to articulate where they may be; judging the intensity of the heat from varying distances, Sero and Shoji were led to a desolate area of the training field enclosed in a large factory building.

Inside, a children's game had been turned into a real life obstacle: the entire floor had turned into bubbling lava because of Javier, who was currently queasy from the use of his quirk. Above them were webs of the substance exuded from Bondo's quirk, threaded through the beams and industrial equipment, and slathered onto surfaces that made mobility frustrating. Right in the middle of the blazing, tacky mess were Javier and Bondo, sitting together on a broken cement block floating in molten, semi-fluid rock, looking carefree and cool.

"You've got to be kidding me." Said Shoji and Sero simultaneously.

"Heeey! Hey, 1-A students! Sorry about the mess, we didn't want you to catch us, you know?" Javier gleamed.

"Are you sure went didn't do too much?" Stammered Bondo.

"Nah, we're fine, both are bodies can handle it!"

"T-That's not what I meant."

"Yeah well, we'll see about that!" Sero exclaimed as he moved in to attack, using the tape dispensed from his elbows to pivot through any openings. "Sero, wait! Javier—!" But Shoji was too late. When he has maneuvered himself closer to them, Javier hocked back the moisture in his mouth and spat out magma that instantaneously burned through his tape, causing Sero to lose his momentum and become entangled in Bondo's glue.

"Gah! Shoji! Help!"

"Help how? I'm in no better position than you are!"

"D-Do something!"

With a sigh, Shoji extended his appendages to reach Sero from there original location, branching out his own arms and hands to create a chain. Bondo, in a cleanlier manner, followed with a similar technique as his partner and enmeshed his limbs in gummy liquid that slowed down his movement speed. To make matters worse, the humidity condensing inside the building had caused the metal to sweat, making the surface that Shoji was standing on incredibly slippery; with just a few small tugs he was off his feet and sliding down into Bondo's web, unable to navigate through the trap.

" . . . Soooo, we did win, right?" Asked Javier.

"Yeah, I-I think so." Concluded Bondo.

"Oy! You boys better clean that mess of yours!" Vlad shouted from the stands.

"Yessir!" They both responded.

Once the training facility had returned to it's normal state, Yemi and Yaoyoruza were up to face Karibara and Kamakiri. Without hesitation, the boys darted out with full force searching for the girls on the opposing team.

"Are you sure you heard right? You never get like this right off the bat." Karibara commented, trying to keep up with Kamakiri.

"It's like I said, those foreign kids totally have it out for 1-A! There's no way we're going to lose, especially with Yaoyoruza on their team." Kamakiri sneered, pushing forward without much regard for his partner.

Meanwhile, just a few miles away, "Karibara is able to rotate any part of his body quickly and has excellent control over his quirk- it may be difficult to take him on in close combat, as for Kamakiri, it appears he can produce blades from anywhere on his body- he's also pretty fast, which means we have to be faster at slowing them down." Yaoyoruza explained out loud to Yemi as they walked alongside each other. With a gentle tap from Yemi, which made Yaoyoruza jump, she held out a pair of headphones that came attached to her headpiece, "You're giving me these?" She questioned as she cautiously took them and placed them on her head, "I could've made my own if you asked, but thank you." Yaoyoruza had no idea what Yemi's intentions were nor that her body parts were detachable, but she had no time to think as the boys suddenly made their volatile appearance.

Yemi bunted Yaoyoruza out of the way with her arm as she moved back, taking a second to realize they were gliding a few inches above the ground. "Y-Yemi . . . ?" Yaoyoruza inquired as they gently landed back onto the ground as Karibara and Kamakiri rushed after them. Yemi darted towards the duo and managed to slide past both of them, holding out both her hands and stopping Kamakiri in his place but not Kaibara who was still gyrating straight for Yaoyoruza. "Kaibara! Hey! I'm stuck!" He shouted, indirectly getting his partner's attention which prompted Yemi to aim her other hand towards Yaoyoruza who was in the process of creating a shield. When the charge from Kaibara made impact with her creation, she was sent a couple feet back as he continued to drill into the barrier that was beginning to give way; before breakage, Yemi pulled Yaoyoruza out of the way then threw Kamakiri at Karibara while in the midst of changing direction.

"Ack! Kamakiri, you're stabbing me!"

"Sorry! I don't know what happened!"

Once the girls were reunited, they stood side by side as the boys serpentine around them, attempting to befuddle them, but with their own twist, Yemi delivered a stunning blow that dropped Karibara while Yaoyoruza quickly created a blockade that shattered Kamakiri's blades. After distancing themselves between them, "Alright, now I'm mad." Karibara grunted behind clenched teeth. As they charged up to relinquish another push, Yemi weightlessly picked up Yaoyoruza in her arms and carried her princess-style while dashing in the opposite direction of the boys who were coming straight for them. With every twist and turn throughout the facility, the girls were quickly found and were made to make an escape, "Yemi, I have idea, turn up ahead here." Yaoyoruza asserted while creating an object from her chest. As Kamakiri and Karibara were nearing Yemi and Yaoyoruza, Yemi surprisingly followed through with Yaoyoruza's plan and sharply turned while Yaoyoruza whipped the device at the boys- which turned out to be a powder bomb that discombobulated them for the moment.

Finally, with some time to recollect themselves, Yemi darted upwards, with Yaoyoruza still in her arms, on top of the nearest building that happened to be embedded with lightening rods. Acting quickly, Yemi attached small nodes that she had pulled from a compartment in her body chassis onto each rod while Yaoyoruza cautiously watched, however, it wasn't long before Karibara and Kamakiri came after them with a joint battle cry. By kneeling down and slamming her hands on the ground in between the lighting rods, once the boys dove in to attack they unknowingly activated the makeshift electric fence that Yemi created using her own body; Yaoyoruza ducked behind Yemi when the electricity began to crackle, unable to articulate how they themselves were not being electrocuted. As Kamakiri and Karibara twitched on the ground like flies dazed by an electric bug zapper, they were each tied up tightly- too shocked to speak.

"While we may not fully understand each other," Yaoyoruza spoke softly as she placed the headphones back onto Yemi's head, "I appreciate you working with me."

Yemi, in response, didn't speak any words, however, there was a small whirling noise that emitted within her headpiece.

"Hm? Were you trying to say something?"

Frantic, Yemi waved her hands side to side while shaking her head in denial, beeping in various tones as if trying to justify herself, only to give up half way through her fretting and awkwardly rub the back of her neck.

Up next, Kaminari and Jiro verses Mickey and Manga, the kooky duo of 1-B. As each team started from different ends of the training facility, they made their way closer to the center- hoping to potentially meet unexpectedly;

"So what's the plan, Man'? You know these blokes better than I do." Mickey sought, they're hands folded at the nape of their neck.

"Your guess is as good as mine, we haven't trained with 1-A since before winter break." Manga answered.

"Aw, what good are ya' anyways?

"Hey, hey, hey, c'mon now! We'll just do it the way we always do it: the old-fashioned way."

"As if there was any other way."

While Mickey and Manga were devising their strategy to perfection, Kaminari and Jiro aimlessly roamed while lost in their observation;

"-But like I was saying, shirts are just long necklaces." Kaminari concluded.

"Denki, you're an idiot . . ." Jiro groaned.

"Wha-? I just-"

" . . . How can shirts be necklaces if most of them have sleeves? Also, not all shirts have the same neckline, so how do explain that?"

"There are different kinds of necklaces."

"When have you ever seen a necklace that goes around your arms? Or one that doesn't drop down, or go around your neck?"

"I was just thinking in general, I didn't think you'd get specific!"

"Then why even bring it up?!"

"I-I was trying to make conversation!"

In the midst of their discussion, Manga has positioned himself without being detected in an area where his quirk would be most effect; pursing his pages together tightly, he let out a steady stream of **Whooshes** that flowed through the air and swept Kaminari and Jiro off their feet. Jiro, who's quirk was inapplicable airborne, prompted Kaminari to launch two conducting discs directly towards Manga, however, with a loud **BANG** the projectiles were shattered upon impact. As they fell back onto the ground they began sprinting away from Manga but were suddenly stopped by an impassable force. "H-Huh? What's this?" Kaminari questioned as he touched what he assumed was an open space, only to soon discover the wet paint on his hands. "Oy!" Shouted Mickey from above with a plunger detonator in hand, "I hate to interrupt ya'- but if you think that's impressive, then this'll really blow your mind!" Once the handle was pushed down, a comical explosion blasted the two backwards while Manga unleashed a few **BOOMs** to emphasis their zany dramatics.

Springing up in the air with coiled legs, they pulled out a comically large mallet and slammed it down between Jiro and Kaminari; Manga followed with some **WHAMs** that flustered the two. "Knock it off!" Yelled Jiro, inserting her jacks into her sound-amplifying equipment and aiming them towards her opponents, channeling a loud heartbeat directly at them. The attack effected the both of them, and while Manga tumbled over off of his perch, Mickey stuffed huge cotton balls into their ears, "Ugh, c'mon now!" They yanked out a pie tin and whipped cream from their hammerspace, creating a cream pie with a cherry on top than throwing the dessert at the offender. Jiro, quick on her reflexes, ducked down despite the projectile missing- or so she thought, "Hah! You didn't seriously think that'd-!" Before she knew it, the pie slammed into the back of Jiro's head, the abundance of cream toppling over her. Kaminari attempted to hold back his laughter, but failed miserably. Extremely embarrassed, she growled, "Y-You're gonna pay for that!"

Softly quaking, "Uh oh," Mickey sprung out of the way and over to her partner, helping him stay on his feet, "Alright Manga, your time to shine!" Reeling back to let out a powerful onomatopoeia, as he went to project, nothing came out; despite his recent vocal training, he had ended up losing his voice.

"S-Seriously? Now?!" Mickey babbled.

"Sorry, Mick." Manga apologized hoarsely.

They sighed, "You're fine, besides, I'd be lion if I said I didn't want to end this already."

With their words, interrupting the joint effort of cleaning Jiro's hair, they suddenly braced themselves and stood their ground, preparing for their attack. Digging frantically through their top- with a hefty grunt, Mickey pulled out a life size male lion wearing a funny hat; extending her noodle arm out, she lightly placed the creature a fair distance from their opponents.

"That's not- . . ."

"There's no way- . . ."

Emanating a loud roar, Kaminari and Jiro screamed in terror, "I-It is a real lion!"

The moment they started running away (the most inappropriate response) the lion followed right after them, the large mammal already hot on their trail; because the training field was mostly industrial, they had a slightly better chance of surviving. With their fight or flight on high, they were able to quickly scale the water piping system on a nearby building, to which the lion could neither climb nor jump high enough to reach them due to the material of the pipes.

"M-Mr. Aizawa! Please don't make me hurt a real animal!" Wailed Kaminari.

"Nobody said we had to deal with this!" Cried Jiro.

"Vlad—!" Aizawa grunted as he elbowed the larger man next to him.

"Wha-? Huh-? Oh uh, right- Mickey! Get rid of the lion!"

"Get rid of it?" Mickey squeaked as large droplets of sweat began to pour down their face, "Uh, haha, um, well, you see—"

"Mickey!"

"I don't know how!"

"What do you mean you don't know how?!"

"W-W-Well stuff just eventually disappears when it's not in frame-!"

"What does that even mean?! MICKEY!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll fix it!" In a frenzy, Mickey searched through their top, tossing out random, comical objects of varying sizes, weight, and types; once they reached into their pockets, they marveled at sight of the large ball of yarn in their hand.

With a crisp whistle, they tossed the yarn in the general direction of the commotion and caught the attention of the lion. Curiously batting the ball, the fierce king of the jungle had become a gentle kitten- twirling the yarn between it's claws and entangling itself in the soft synthetic fibers. There was a sigh of relief, but tension was still prominent; Jiro and Kaminari were still too afraid to come down. Down below, however, Mickey and Manga were holding a net, waiting patiently to capture them with cheeky grins.

Once the lion had been properly captured and transported to the Tama Zoological Gardens, Arjan and Midoriya were ready to verse Kodai and Yanagi, and it wasn't long before they were unexpectedly face to face on the training field. Creating a sudden diversion, Arjan dug the heel of his foot into the ground and swiped his leg ninety degrees, brushing up dirt, dust, and rubble, powdering the girls in filth before lunging backwards with Midoriya following. As they pushed through the debris to chase after them, Arjan rhythmically knocked on the ground before slamming down his fist to create a wall between them to continue their escape; the unexpected barrier caused Kodai and Yanagi to lightly crash into the solid earth.

Swiftly blasting through Arjan's wall were small versions of industrial equipment that, in an instant, became larger than normal, crashing around the boys to barricade them from the conjoined effort of the girl's quirks. Before they could be completely entrapped, Arjan grabbed Midoriya by the arm and swung him around to his front as he fell back; with the other in his arms, he tucked and rolled backwards while the earth around them conformed and sealed them in a ball. Shocked, Yanagi and Kodai reformed their strategy and followed through with the same attack, only to discover the large hole in the ground that was being concealed by the ball. "Where the hell did they go?" Fretted Yanagi as her and Kodai searched around them, until suddenly, two mucky arms rose from the ground and clasped the girls together in it's hands.

It was only moments later that a large explosion threw the team captured and the team hiding up in the air with great force; Midoriya, who was quickly running out of oxygen underground, used full cowl to break both of them out as he now clung to Arjan's back, hacking up dirt and mud from inside his mouth. Despite the fight going airborne, neither persons involved were deterred by the outcome. Arjan, who manipulated the fragments, threw and deflected them as Yanagi moved around the smaller pieces and Kodai fluctuated the sizes to increase the damage inflicted on Arjan and Midoriya.

"A-Arjan- wait! I can't-!" Because the fight had been moving so fast, Midoriya found he could not relinquish himself from Arjan's body, "Ahh! S-Stop! You're moving too faaaAAAH-!" Regardless of his pleas, the fight continued until a large clump of dirt hit Arjan on the leg and unbalanced him, prompting Midoriya to use full cowl once more to distance themselves and bring everyone closer to the ground. As the girls were falling, Arjan grabbed onto a window ledge that was in arms reach, tapping his foot in catchy tune before striking into the concrete that started to extend out directly towards Kodai and Yanagi. Before they could be pinned, the girls swiveled over on top of pillar and kept their bodies in motion to ready themselves, "Okay, now let me get down- No, wait- Arjan, no!" Midoriya tried, but he was still attached as he jumped down and darted towards the other team, then sliding in as the friction from his foot built up the concrete while simultaneously wearing underneath them.

As Yanagi and Kodai burst through the debris with ease, Arjan brought his leg up and slammed his foot down before they could even realize they were once again falling, only this time, he attached himself to the other half of the pillar before hurling it down amongst the forming rubble pile. Through the thick clouds of dust, the boys trudged over the aftermath of their fight until they were finally planted back on the ground; Arjan grasped his knees and panted heavily as sweat dripped off his head- the extra weight of the other on his back made him exert more energy than normal. With a shaking sigh of relief, Midoriya loosened his grip around his neck and waist, barely holding on as is- yet Arjan was preventing him from falling off.

"Arjan . . ." He spoke while still catching his breath, "That was incredible! I had no idea you could do all that with your quirk- your moves are totally unpredictable, and your speed-" As he was babbling praise towards his partner, the other's bottom lip quivered while the corner of his mouth twitched, unable to form a smile, " . . . T-Thank you . . ." Arjan mumbled softly, hoping Midoriya wouldn't hear him; unfortunately, because this was the first time he had ever heard him speak, "D-Did you just thank me?!" Blubbered Midoriya as he began to cry, which prompted Arjan to abruptly drop him from his hold and leave him on the ground, walking away with his hands shoved in his pockets while grumbling angrily to himself. "W-Wait! No, please, come back! I'm sorry, come back, I'm sorry! Arjan!" It was hopeless, he was left on all fours pounding his fist into the ground in frustration, "You're really living up to your hero name, aren't you?"

"Why do even care what that creep thinks, anyways?" Groaned Yanagi, who was joined with Kodai under the heavy pile next him, unabashedly accepting their defeat.

With the training field now more decrepitude than originally laid out, there was nothing that could be done for the time being aside from allowing the students continue to train. It was Mina and Kirishima verses Estelle and Tetsutetsu up next, and given the team match-up it was expected to be a short fight.

In an area that managed to go unscathed- no more than the structure was initially designed, Estelle and Tetsutetsu had based themselves in a semi-secluded location, planning their attack while taking an opportunity for some one on one idle chit-chat. As he sat on the ground in the dirt, he had his hands folded on the back of his head as he leaned back against the short concrete wall behind him while she was above him practicing gymnastic front scales.

"-Seriously, what could you possibly have in common those weirdos?" Tetsutetsu continued, "Is it a language thing? Or some kind of foreigner thing?"

Estelle sighed, "I told you, it's complicated."

"I just don't see why you'd wanna be friends with people who treat others like crap."

"I know it's hard to believe, but they're far from bad people."

"You're right, I don't believe you."

"Look, we talked to them again earlier at lunch, hopefully, things'll end up working out the way they should've from the start- and soon."

"Tch, whatever."

"Also, speaking of weirdos, you're one to talk." Estelle teased, dropping to her knees with her hands gripping the edge of the wall, bending over Tetsutetsu so that their faces were only a few inches away from each other.

"H-Hey! Who are you calling a weirdo? I'm nothing like them!" Tetsutetsu, who was normally confident and outspokenly straightforward, had become pliable steel when their eyes met, "Aren't you a little close?" He questioned softly, turning his head slightly in the opposite side with an apparent blush.

"Hmm? What was that? Do I need to get a little closer?"

Before she could continue to poke fun at Tetsutetsu, they could both hear voices in their proximity, "They're here!" They gasped in unison before scrambling to find better hiding spots. While Kirishima and Mina were walking side by side and casually conversing, Tetsutetsu stormed in from out of nowhere with a war cry, landing right in front of them while pointing at Kirishima, "Rargh! We meet again on the battlefield, adversary!"

Kirishima, who quickly picked up on his role, followed up, "So it would seem! Brothers at arms, once again made to fight for their kingdoms!"

"May you fight with your absolute potential!"

"As do you, my fated rival!"

The boys both let out a roar before activating their quirks and charging directly at each other, clashing into one another without either of them faltering. As they fiercely threw punches and kicks at each other's armored bodies, they resumed their dramatic dialogue that only seemed to grow in theatrics the harder they went. Meanwhile, Estelle was recording the entire fight on her phone that she snuck in from inside her hero costume, "Are they always like this?" She asked as Mina came up beside her and joined the seat next to her, "Yeah, pretty much . . . Oh, hey! I don't think we've properly met! I'm Mina Ashido!"

"It's so nice to finally meet you! To be honest, I've wanted to meet you for the longest time."

"Ehh?! Y-You wanted to meet me?! You're the one I've been dying to talk to, but I was too nervous before!"

"You had nothing to be nervous about! Although, I'm one to talk, I was using the same excuse."

"I'm so glad we met- because I've really wanted to ask you about your makeup secrets; you look stunning with all that glitter on!"

"Oh, thank you, and yeah, ask me anything!"

While the girls shared makeup and the boys were reaching the epic climax of their duet, Aizawa lurched onto the field in front of them, his expression perceived as annoyance, "Hey! You came here to train, not screw around. Either get serious, or get off." The two groups looked at each other, collectively scheming with just the looks in their eyes; it was then that Mina playfully punched Estelle in the shoulder. She grabbed onto her shoulder and comically cried out, "Wah, my shoulder! I think it's dislocated!"

It was then that Kirishima followed suit and punched Tetsutetsu in the stomach in the same manner, "Gaargh! He crushed my insides!" He dramatically groaned as he clutched his stomach.

Estelle rose her leg and gently pushed up against Mina's side in a kicking motion, "My ribs! Broken! Shattered!" Mina theatrically cried out while holding her side with both hands.

Tetsutetsu couldn't help but to grimace as he went into bop Kirishima's face with his fist, "How could you?! My face, my beautiful faaaace!" He melodramatically gasped, clasping his cheeks with his hands.

"Oh no! I suddenly discovered I can vaporize my acid and now we've all been poisoned!" Mina strikingly improvised with her hand up in the air to justify her words. The four of them cried out before putting their hands around their necks pretending to choke and gag, pleading for help as they fell on the ground together in a group, dying.

" . . . You have ten seconds to get out of here or fail indefinitely." Aizawa, who watched the entire performance, was not having it.

"Sorry Mr. Aizawa!" They collectively apologized as they jumped up and scurried out of his sight, giggling after finishing up their final act.

Once the rest of teams had gone, the only one left to go was Shelby and Todoroki verses Komori and Kuroiro; anticipation had built up around the last fight of the day as opponents with powerful quirks were going head to head- although, Shelby's quirk was still unknown. As they began searching out in the open, Todoroki briefly explained to Shelby about their situation, "While my ice can incapacitate both of them, Komori's mushrooms can still form on the surface and Kuroiro's blackness makes him difficult to capture if I'm not quick enough. My fire, despite being a strong counter against the darkness, the spores from burning the mushrooms would end up suffocating us, or poisoning us, at the very least. We have to act carefully." He wasn't sure if she was actually listening to him or not, but for both their sake, he hoped so.

It wasn't until they had reached an enclosed area of training facility that the atmosphere had changed: the air had become heavier, the humidity making breathing difficult, and the overt obscurity of opaque obsidian made navigating nearly impossible. To preserve his energy and proceed with caution, Todoroki only lit the tip of his thumb, "Stay close." He mumbled softly, unsure of where the other team was possibly hiding. Shelby, as she looked around, tucked her index finger inside her mask and slid it down past her chin while chewing on something, "What are you doing?" He asked, figuring too late he was unlikely to get a response. Pursing her lips together, she blew a large bubble of pink bubble gum, allowing it to pop as it echoed throughout the space; she paused until the echoes vanished, than blew another bubble, letting that one to pop, as well.

Still having no clue as to what she was doing, Todoroki watched as she dug through the top of her hero costume and pull out what appeared to be a small, dull blade, flick it in the air, and launch the weaponry by twisting her hips and hitting it with her butt cheek; the speed and trajectory was enough to directly hit Kuroiro who was hiding in a corner on the ceiling. "W-What the hell?!" Kuroiro shouted as the blackness from his quirk dissipated, revealing the whereabouts of Komori in the process.

"K-Kuroio!" Scolded Komori loudly.

As he slumped closer to the ground, he observed and poked at the piece of metal sticking out between his eyes, "Ahh! Komori! It's stuck!"

"So what do you want me to do about it?!- . . . D-Don't pull it out, idiot!"

"But it really hurts!"

"Um- good job . . .?" Todoroki said softly, still trying to process what just happened.

"Ugh, whatever! You just got lucky!" Called out Komori, "But let's see you what you do about this!" She slapped her hands on the ground and full-grown mushrooms swiftly began to appear sporadically; as the various fungi spread further, they covered the ground and walls around them. Todoroki quickly put up a wall of ice, however, as he stated previously, the mushrooms started to grow on top of the ice, "Nice try, but with the humidity in here that wall of yours won't last!" Komori boasted with a smirk as she chuckle. All of a sudden, Shelby came vaulting over the melting barricade, surprising both Kuroiro and Komori; as she swung through the air with a handheld throwing grappling, Kuroiro darted back into the shadows and lunged forward to capture her midair. As the grapple was forcefully released, Shelby whipped the sharp end at Kuroiro's face that sliced his cheek that caused him to flinch, then drew the wire back upwards to keep herself from falling as he came reeling forward once again.

Komori couldn't help but to lose focus on what was going on above her, only to realize there was still another person that needed to be dealt with. When her gazed fell back towards the ice wall, it had melted to the point where anyone who was visible would appear- except there was no hidding behind there. Frantically, she looked all around her, and finally, after looking up, she saw that Todoroki had scaled upwards using his ice and had then been using his quirk to cover the upper walls and beams where Kuroiro had been branching off from. "Kuroiro!" Komori called out, but Kuroiro had been too late; during their fight, he had been getting some good hits on Shelby, however, she always retaliated harder. She was stronger and faster, more than he could keep a handle on, but he was determined- and distracted. Once the ice had reached over from where he was based, he had to decided whether to get frozen or release himself from the shadows, and in a split decision he had gone for the latter that would lead to his downfall.

While aimlessly floating in the air, Shelby delivered a knee so hard to his stomach it caused Kuroiro to vomit, and as he twisted from the impact, she grabbed onto him from behind and pulled him towards her front side: wrapping her arms around his waist- she held onto his wrists, keeping them in place as she dove backwards, spinning the both of them while aiming towards the mushroom-covered ground, then finishing him off by slamming him down on his shoulders and upper back in an aerial german suplex. Komori whimpered in fright as she saw her partner's legs slowly fall over while her opponent emerged from the shallow crater she had created upon impact- unharmed, and Todoroki, who was watching from a different angle, was in complete awe. As she took a step forward, the other let out a cry, "Stay away from me!" She yelled before running away in the other direction, then chasing after her. "Shelby, wait up!" Todoroki called out before proceeding to follow both of them.

The mushrooms that had stuck onto Shelby from landing earlier created a bridge from the ground to her legs as the abundance of fungi started to slow her down and trap her, however, despite tugging at her skin, she ripped her legs from the clusters that caused tears in her nylons and lacerations on her skin. The fungus that grew on other parts of her body were scratched and dug out with her manicured nails- continuing to harm herself to keep up with Komori who was already falling behind, "You're insane!" The other girl wailed before comprehending that she had reached a dead end. Todoroki, who was right behind Shelby, was dealing with the same dilemma, but using his ice to shield himself from the growth than shattering the ice, repeating the same process when the fungus continued to attach itself to his body. With her back against the wall, with no help from her unconscious companion, she threw her arms out and placed her hands on the surface to create a cocoon of mushrooms, "I-I won't be taken out this easily!"

Before she could completely encapsulate herself, Shelby leaped towards Komori as she took her hair out of her ponytail, swiftly crouching down and using her long, thick locks of white hair as a distraction cover for Todoroki to use his quirk and apprehend their opponent. In the midst of attempting to free herself, Shelby jumped back up brought a jumping double high kick to Komori's face, knocking her out instantly; the ooze produced by her mushrooms caught her fall, blood from her nose and mouth dripping down. Unable to catch herself due to her injuries, Shelby collapsed onto the ground with a huff, "Here, I got you." Todoroki announced but was lightly brushed off by his injured partner.

Slowly, Shelby got up from the ground, brushing the grime from her skin and clothes and started to walk away, but before distancing herself too far, she pulled her mask to the side and turned to look back at him, and for the first time ever, witness her smile. Something about that smile- the way her plump lips curved upward to highlight youthful, rosy cheeks brought upon a feeling of tender warmth, and mixed feelings from within the other that he did not understand- or thought he even had. When the breeze from an opening on the side of the wall blew through, her bangs brushed forward slightly, also revealing her large, gentle eyes that managed to compliment her smile harmoniously.

. . . Magenta.


	8. Speculation

The next day, there was odd sensation that dispersed throughout the day, and no one could distinguish the true source; the behavior of the abroad students yesterday was not directly addressed, but the change, from their perspective, felt drastic. For the first time in weeks they were not the first to arrive to Homeroom, when they were requested to do a task from other students there were no remarks made, the only thing that hadn't change, however, was their inability to interact with their classmates- but, rather than blatant ignorance, their responses were more somber, almost as if they were too nervous to say anything.

Although, before the day began, Aizawa was exhaustively preparing himself to make an announcement, but he was so cozy in his sleeping bag that he dozed off at his podium just as he was about to speak. "Mr. Aizawa! Today's announcement?!" Projected Iida loudly, shooting his hand high in the air; the burst of energy caused him to nearly jump out of his yellow bedroll. "Huh-? Right, uh, hang on." He stepped out of his sleeping bag and attentively laid it on the ground, using his hands to smooth out any wrinkles. Aizawa stood back up and cleared his throat, "Sorry about that- anyways, as you know, with spring approaching the sports festival is just around the corner, however, because this is the first year with our abroad students, we'll be changing how things are normally done to better accommodate all students."

The curious student's interest had piqued, causing them sit up in their seats to listen intently for what ever information their teacher was about to provide them. "This year's sport festival has been officially named U.A. Battle Royale!" He presented in his typical apathetic tone of voice, using his hands to indifferently emphasis the title on the board behind him. "The biggest difference between this year's sports festival and the ones previous is how the winner's will be determined; instead of a singular collective among all classes, each hero class will have one of two groups of winners: Japan or International. Let me further explain, rather than three main events we'll be having four: two regular events- which have yet to be decided, a gauntlet run, and a final battle. For the first two events, you'll either be going up against the abroad students from 1-B or 3-A-"

"Wait, you mean all of us will be going up against the four of them?" Asked Uraraka as she rose her hand.

"That's right, I believe it'll be randomly decided which class you'll be up against for each event, and that goes same for you four back there."

"And the gauntlet run?" What's that about?" Followed up Shoji.

"As individual participates, you'll be working your way through various obstacles until you give up or reach the finish line; this particular challenge will be class exclusive, meaning your only opponents are each other. Also, there's one more thing- in order to qualify for the final event, you'll have to finish in the top four, to which those who place will be going up against the abroad students of our class."

A sense of dread had fallen over the students as they were suddenly reminded of the first time they had gone up against the four of the together, how difficult it was fighting them, and how awful it felt to lose as badly as they had. Would evening the numbers make a difference? At all? Despite fighting alongside them recently, it only proved that they were capable of far more than they were originally led to perceive, and with such immaculate quirk use, leaving no room for error, what potential strategies could they allocate combined? There was a reason they ended up here in the first place, but who could've predicted that four strangers would master synchronized teamwork in a short amount of time?

"Heh, it's about damn time." Sneered Bakugo as he pounded his fist into the palm of his hand.

"Other than that, that's all I have for you today, you'll have to wait until the sports festival for more details. Now, for today's lesson- . . . "

Later, in the cafeteria, "Man, I am not looking forward to this year's sports festival; if it's anything like last years, we'll end up in the wringer yet." Kaminari groaned before stuffing his mouth full of food.

"Nonsense! Compared to last year, we're much more equipped to handle ourselves!" Interjected Iida with confidence.

"Weren't you and Ojiro the ones who almost became snake food the other day?" Commented Sero.

"Erm- well, yes, but-! Now I'm more capable of forming a solid plan that will ensure none of our classmates end up in a similar predicament!"

"Speaking of classmates," Midoriya spoke up softly, "Has anyone else noticed that the foreign students in our class are acting . . . weird?"

"No, not really." Said Kaminari.

"They seem the same to me." Shrugged Sero.

Mineta, in a state of utter trepidation, sitting at the end of the lunch table, was murmuring preachments, "Those who supplicate them at their pedestals will not be spared a merciless death; we will soak in the blood of our brothers and sisters in false victory, and too, will suffer the same fate at the hands—" But no one was listening.

"They're already quite strange," Began Todoroki, "But you might be right about one thing, Midoriya- they're not as bad as we think they are."

"Todoroki, you too?" Iida inquired, surprised.

"Don't you guys think you might be giving them too much benefit of the doubt?" Sero questioned.

Midoriya, looking over at the lunch table a few tables over where the all abroad students sat, watching as they mingled amongst their peers in their usual manner, "I think there's something they don't want us to know- and whatever it is, they're doing everything they can to keep it a secret."

"You really think so, Midoriya?" Asked Yaoyoruza with her hands folded behind her back; after lunch and just before English, Midoriya and Todoroki caught up with Yaoyoruza and Hagakure for their input on the subject. "I don't know," she continued, "What could be so important that a group of people would have to act like that, and wouldn't that mean the others are in on it as well?"

"I was hoping you two would have some kind of idea." Midoriya said.

"It's hard to say- after yesterday's joint training I started thinking, but with everything they've done and how they treat us-"

"I feel the same way." Chimed in Hagakure.

"Do you consider them bad?" Todoroki asked.

"O-Of course not! I mean- why would anyone go to a hero school if not to become heroes?!" Hagakure blurted.

"She's right, and besides, with everything we've been told about The International Rising Heroes Championship, if they're hiding something, it's completely redundant and time wasting." Yaoyoruza explained conscientiously.

"You have a point, Yaoyoruza. Thanks, you two." Midoriya disclosed with a grin.

"Maybe things'll get better after the sports festival." Finalized Todoroki.


	9. Rally

After the announcement of the sports festival was made public throughout the school, those participating began training effortlessly to prepare themselves for what was anticipated to be a brutal tournament; with the circumstances of this year's festival, classes who were normally pitted against one another for individual glory were working together so U.A. Japan would come out on top, and while class 1-B and 3-A were taking their rivalries with their abroad students as competitive fun, most of class 1-A were going about the showcase of quirks and teamwork on a more serious note. When the day finally came, no one had any idea what to expect, but a strong concoction of anxiety and excitement was present in everybody.

Early that morning, a major news network, one that hosts the sports festival on television every year, stated that due to last year's multiple incidents tied to the public broadcasting, there will be no live coverage or taped footage of the events; what they were unable to reveal was the main reason- which involved the knowledge of the abroad students that was instructed by the school itself weeks prior. However, an invitation was personally extended to families of students and other schools who wished to view the events in person, which, regardless of circumstances, meant that security would be tighter than normal despite the abundance of heroes in attendance. As people began to crowd in by the dozens, navigating through the campus became inconvenient for students and faculty of U.A. Japan due to various blockades and privileged accesses, but the minor subterfuges didn't matter, nor did any other ruses. Today was their day to show what they were made of!

The roar of the overcrowded arena came in waves, rushes of anticipation and elated commotion overwhelmed the audience as they impatiently waited for the start of the festival. "Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, and Pro Heroes of Japan, are you ready?!" Announced Present Mic enthusiastically as the crowd cheered vehemently with eagerness. "Welcome everybody- to this year's U.A. Battle Royale! We've got ourselves a spectacular line-up for you, a once in a lifetime festival for the ages: heroes of Japan verses heroes from around the world! Who will come out on top, and who will will learn a harsh lesson in reality?!" The audience thundered wildly for their home team as the abroad students took their place on the decorated makeshift stage and presented themselves by class. "And here to introduce our international opponents, is U.A. teacher and Pro Hero, Eraserhead!" Present Mic shouted as he presently emphasized Aizawa, who appeared to be dredging over the fact he was chosen to speak.

"From class 3-A," he began, "Saudi Arabian hero, Shark Bait."  
**Bassam al-Qahtani is wearing a worn, cotton breechcloth secured similarly to a subligaculum, a keffiyeh of the same material and wear wrapped around the top his head, and loosely tied in the back- remnants are hanging down off to the side, and woven sandals. He is fashioned with a wooden barrel on his back imprinted with his family's seafood distribution company name in Arabic, settled around his waist with rope, and an admiralty anchor hung above the barrel bound at the ring with rope, the remaining length is draped over his shoulder and around his torso.**

"-French hero, Mirage."  
**Fatima Kamal is wearing an emerald caftan abaya with sirwal underneath, half niqaab with chiffon veil, and slippers. Each piece is adorned with intricate gold embroidery, patterns, and/or beaded ornaments, accented with gold jewelry such as multiple rings and hair pins. Her green, gold, and black makeup compliments her hero costume.**

"-American hero, Abracadabra!"  
**Chelsea Weisz is wearing a red, tailored tailcoat with black silk lapels, silver Hamsa lapel pin, silver cufflinks, studs, and covered buttons, fitted, white marcella dress shirt with purple bow tie, black, high-waisted hot pants, white gloves, matte, seamless, sheer-to-waist pantyhose, black, shiny, patent leather pumps, and black silk top hat with purple ribbon. Her hair is worn down, revealing the long, razor cut-style of her hair length and bangs. Her make up is paired with a natural, full coverage face and red lips.**

"-And lastly, Somalian hero, Thantophobia."  
**Omar Muhammad-Najjar is wearing a black, loose-fitting jellabiya and sarawil, navy cotton sheets worn around his waist reaching just above his ankles and another draped across his shoulder, navy cotton shemagh, and sandals with straps over the instep and around the ankles. A synthetic leather eyepatch with a thick, buckle strap is worn over his right eye.**

"Now give it up for Japan's own 3-A!" Present Mic broadcasted loudly over Aizawa as he finished his introductions while the remainder of class was walking out towards the center of the arena. Mirio, who was up in the stands with Eri up on his shoulders, was cheering vociferously while flaunting his U.A. sports paraphernalia.

"From class 1-B," Aizawa taxingly continued, "Haitian hero, Diamant Noir."  
**Estelle Bonaly is wearing a white lycra, silk, and mesh competitive figure skating dress with a high neckline and open back; her skirt and sleeves are adorned with rhinestones, swarovski crystals, and diamonds in a sporadically random, alternating, rhythmic pattern while the upward, alternating, flowing pattern on her torso and lower right corner of her neck is more concentrated. Her tights are decorated in the same pattern as her sleeves and skirt, her boots are matte white. Her hair is straightened and fastened into a top bun, her bangs are curled inwards towards her head. Her makeup is bold and accented with loose and chunky white glitter.**

"-Australian hero, Ka-Blam!"  
**Mickey Cox is wearing a blue, spandex body suit with a red belt and white, five-pointed star belt buckle, white boots with red trim, white gloves, red, ankle-length cape, and red eye mask. Their hero symbol, located at the center of their chest, is the Union Jack in the shape of a large, seven-pointed star with their hero name comically printed over top, along with four smaller seven-pointed stars surrounding the symbol. Their hair is slicked back with the exception of a curl that hangs over their forehead.**

"-Chilean hero, El Volcán Niño."  
**Javier Montañero is wearing a vicuña wool, richly-dyed unca, designed with black and white checks and a red triangle below the neck, breechcloth and yacolla of the same material and vibrancy, sewn with gold thread. The soles of his sandals are made of untanned leather, the straps are of brightly colored woolen cord. His jewelry, such as his rings, bracelets, and tunnels, are gold, however, his breastplate and helmet are copper; his headdress is adorned with feather plumes and tassels. The exposed skin on his face, arms, and legs are brushed with war paint.**

"-Finally, Mexican hero, El Delantero del Desierto."  
**Ximena Delgado is wearing an off-white western shirt with a stylized yoke on the front and back and embroidered rustic red roses beneath the collar, striped poncho of rustic green, brown, red, yellow colors and off-white accents and tassels, rustic red kerchief around her neck, brown gloves and sash, and rustic red prairie skirt. Her hair is parted in two and tied into french braids, secured with cloth ribbons. Her hat is a sombrero with a decorated high crown and broad brim; a stampede string hangs loosely under her chin.**

"Japan, make some noise for 1-B!" The other hollered as he hung over his partner next to him, who's annoyance was increasing the more he was touched and subjected to Present Mic's voice in close, enclosed proximity. The class came out beaming, letting themselves be known and heard as they joined their classmates.

"From class 1-A," Aizawa spoke with clenched teeth, "Dutch hero, Rock 'n Beats."  
**Arjan van Haestregt is wearing as a white leather, long sleeve top with PVC trim, cone spikes, detailed in a cage strap arrangement on his torso, back, and arms; his pants are fashioned with the same material and design. His shoes are white, platform, knee-high boots, adorned with an ornamental buckle strap and cone spikes.**

"-Nigerian hero, Synthia."  
**Yemi Ogunsheye is wearing- or rather, she wasn't, wearing anything; Yemi's anatomy was mysterious to many, there weren't many heroes that took automatic forms, and because she didn't speak, it was difficult to determine whether or not her choice to wear clothing was optional or mandatory. Her body consisted of the same plating, padding, and texture throughout.**

"-Native Hawaiian hero, Air Riff."  
**Keali'i Ho'omalu is wearing a white, lycra, sleeveless, turtleneck crop top, white, fingerless, tactical gloves, white cargo pants fashioned with straps, white belt, and white, platform, mid-calf boots with ornamental straps.**

"-And, American hero, Canary."  
**Shelby Pascal is wearing a white, sleeveless bodysuit with semi-sweetheart and tanga cuts, paired with a white waist cincher and tall neck corset that extends out to the shoulders and peaks in center arching outwards at the collarbone, secured with satin white ribbons. Her mask is white with gold trim and accents, white, sheer nylons, and white, short heel, knee-high boots with gold heels, soles, toe caps. All eyelets, rivets, and aglets throughout her hero costume are gold. Her hair is pulled back into a high ponytail, fashioned with a white satin ribbon.**

"Here th-! Hargh!" Before he could present the rest of class 1-A, Aizawa had elbowed him in the side to release him from his person- to get his mouth as far away from his ear as possible. As Present Mic began to collect himself, Aizawa leaned into his microphone, "Class 1-A, everybody." then sat back in his seat, pretending not to acknowledge his aching partner; making their way towards the center, the students stood tall amongst their own and their competition.

"LeT tHe gamES . . . beGgiiiin~!"


	10. Blitz

"While Present Mic is recovering from his unexpected injuries, I'll be introducing the first event!" Midnight hyped, the audience hollering with anticipation; the large screen behind her began to show animated visuals that would adjust as she explained the directions audibly. "Our first game will be Hero Boppers: the objective is to knock off all opponents from the five floating platforms until at least one student from either participating class remains, and to keep things fair, everyone is to follow the submersion guideline- even if you're hanging on or being held on to, if your body lands in the water, you're out! Simple enough?" She asked with a wink as the crowd grew more rambunctious, hardly containing themselves as the beginning drew closer with each word. "Let's see who will be starting us off in this year's sports festival!" Midnight enunciated, prompting the board once more as the imagery completely changed; on the screen were two flags, one of Japan and the other of The Untied Nations (to represent the international students) with two tickers underneath each flag. The classes sorted through rapidly, all eyes focused on those sets on screen, "Japan's own Class 1-B verses International 3-A!" The audience exploded in excited cheers as the selected classes began making their way to the designated area. "Show us what you're made of and make us proud, kids!"

The school's outdoor pool had opened early for the occasion, however, the lane ropes had been replaced with five platforms of varying size arranged in a hexagon and connected by narrow bridges of the same material and density; the four outer platforms are the same size while the middle platform is much larger. "This is just school-safe version of Keijo!" Blurted Class 1-B in unison, embarrassed by the bastardized version of butt battle.

"Keijo?" Asked Bassam as he looked to his friend's for affirmation.

"I'm guessing it's some sort of Japanese pool game?" Omar articulated out loud.

"I guess so, it looks like fun!" Chelsea exclaimed.

"Mhm!" Hummed Fatima.

"Chelsea," Addressed Omar, "It might be wise to remove your shoes for this event, those platforms don't look very sturdy."

"Oh yeah, that's a good idea!"

Before each participating class had entered the event area, they devised a strategy- given they had no idea of what any of their quirks were and vice versa. For Class 1-B, the physically stronger students had positioned themselves on Bassam while the quirk-heavy ones were already surrounding Omar, the rest had divided themselves equally on Chelsea and Fatima; Class 3-A, on the other hand, was going for a simpler approach with as little quirk differentiation as possible. As the classes finalized their positions on the platforms, Present Mic had finished straightening himself out and returned to his post, "Everyone, get ready, set-!" With a twirl of her wand, the caress of her niqaab, the grip of his anchor, and outward stretch of his fingers, they were prepared to show their underclassman what they were made of- as a team. "Goooo!" And just like that, the groups began rushing towards their opponents to separate and besiege without giving them the opportunity perform together, however, they were suddenly bamboozled- "Ehh?! What's this?! International 3-A have completely disappeared and are nowhere to be seen!" Spectated Present Mic as 1-B frantically searched for any sign of their whereabouts.

With their opponents keeping them on their toes, those visible were cautious to make any drastic movements, unsure of what to do next or what to expect. Beyond a moments notice, Tsuburaba received a high kick from a nylon-covered foot from below, Komori was bunted in the face by a flying knee, Bondo, Tetsutetsu, and Shishida were launched off by the force of a swinging anchor, and Monoma was none the wiser to an elbow from out of nowhere. And just like that, they were already gone. Tsuburaba, Komori, and Monoma only faltered from their attacks, but Bondo, Tetsutetsu, and Shishida, however, we're unable to catch themselves and all three of them fell into the water; on a separate screen also located inside the arena, all currently participating student's school portraits were displayed and divided by teams, and when they were no longer active, their portraits darkened. "Ohhhh, and looks like we're already three out on Japan's 1-B!" Emphasized Present Mic, adding insult to injure on their sudden lose.

The rest of the fight had not gone in Class 1-B's favor: the student's were unable to figure out any signs of whoever's quirk was being used, leaving them forlorn to predict where they may appear next in a short period of time. With the addition of the rest of their quirks, the window to respond was even shorter than before leaving most of them to slip or be completely knocked off the lands or bridges; for those who were capable of putting up more of a challenge, Class 3-A was not above pinning more than one member of their team on one person- allowing them to test different quirk combinations for future use. Slowly, Class 1-B's side of the screen grew darker as students were being picked off with ease, leaving 3-A's side to shine as brightly as they worked together. Kendo, the only student left, was encircled by all four of them as they stood around her.

"Sorry about this, cutie." Chelsea mused.

"No hard feelings, yeah?" Bassam followed up.

"You all did a good job." Fatima spoke sincerely.

"Don't let this loss hinder the progress you've already made." Omar reassured.

Kendo was, in all senses, baffled that they would say such things after the devastating blow to her class, and despite their honesty, she refused to let their words get to her; she could still fight, she could still win. Slamming her large fist onto the land they were standing on, she fell directly into their ploy as her hand disappeared into the platform and ended up next to Omar's head, who ducked to avoid impact then grabbed a hold of her wrist to keep her arm stationary. Fatima begins helping loosen the rope around Bassam's waist which releases the barrel on his back, prompting Bassam to slide out the mechanics from inside leaving the barrel completely empty; he grips the open edge of the barrel and scoops up Kendo from behind with Omar releasing her from his grip. With her body once again stuck, Bassam hands Chelsea the lid and- with what seemed like a trick of the eye, completely encapsulates her inside. Everyone in the arena is enthralled by the performance, nearly on the edge of their seats waiting for the conclusion of the match. Chelsea moves her hands lithely over the barrel before tapping it twice with her wand then lifting the lid off the top- Bassam picks up the barrel nonchalantly and reveals Kendo is no longer inside.

"Ladies and gentleman-!" Chelsea confidently announces as she lifts up her arms and diverts their attention to the opposite side of the pool where Kendo, who had sunk herself deeper to avoid embarrassment, stood almost head deep in the water. The crowd erupts in applause as Present Mic declares- "Winners! International 3-A!" The four of them stood together and cheered alongside the masses before regathering their things and exiting the pool area. As they were returning back to the arena, Fatima unexpectedly stumbles and falls against Omar before he and Chelsea could grab onto her and help her back on her feet.

"Fatima, are you okay?!" Chelsea fretted.

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay- I'm sorry." Fatima whimpered as she held her head in her hands.

"No, it's our fault, we should've planned our attack more thoroughly - you don't need to apologize." Omar heartened.

"We're the ones who're sorry, Fatima. We shouldn't have relied on your quirk so much," Bassam groaned, "But don't worry, you just leave the next match to us while you get your strength back!"

"Huh? Are you sure about that? I don't want you three losing because of me . . ."

"We totally got this!" Exclaimed Chelsea.

"Yeah, we can handle 1-A no problem!" Followed up Bassam.

"The final match is what's most important, until then, leave everything to us; we won't let you down." Proffered Omar.

Fatima, as she wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye, softly smiled, "O-Okay."

"Up next, Japan's 1-A verses International 1-B!" Present Mic publicized as both classes had already taken their place on the platforms, awaiting for the start of the match, "Freezing the water does count as cheating, by the way." Aizawa asserted- not saying Todoroki's name, but implying directly at him. "I already figured that." He mumbled to himself before returning his attention towards his opponents. ". . . And go!" Shouted Present Mic, clearly signaling that their turn had begun yet very little movement was taking place.

Class 1-A had split themselves equally in a similar formation as Japan's 1-B, however, all four members of of International 1-B were located on the middle platform with Ximena circled around her teammates; the rattle at the end of her tail was emitting audible warnings as her tongue flickered, her body lurched back and ready to strike at any moment. "Don't you drongos know better than ta' corner a venomous snake?" Mickey jeered from the safety of their friend's vicinity as Ximena juked towards anyone who began moving towards them. They knew how deadly she was even if her appearance and functionality were due to her quirk, and that the addition of humanoid features increased the severity of her attacks.

"Oy, Ximena, catch!" Called out Kirishima, who was struck at instantly and without hesitation- which was the team's first but final mistake; as the rest of 1-A were keeping 1-B preoccupied with their ludicrous attempts, Kirishima and Sero were preparing their first move. With Sero's tape wrapped around Kirishima's waist, he sprang forward with his body curled into a ball, "Japan's 1-A has successfully stunned their most troublesome opponent!" Present Mic observed out loud as Ximena struggled to remove the rock-hard Kirishima stuck inside her mouth. His sharp, jagged edges made him difficult to swallow whole as her muscles were being pierced and slashed; her fangs were cracking away at him slowly as her quirk's instincts were attempting to push him towards her stomach. As 1-A darted towards the rest of 1-B, Sero failed to pull Kirishima out of Ximena's mouth- not only had she tore his tape, but he was now wedged too deep for him to pull him out. "Uhh, guys?! Help Kirishima, please!" Kirishima begged as he strained to help Ximena in getting him out of her mouth. "Woul'ja get outta of there already?!" Mickey scolded, smacking Ximena's upper back and suddenly dislodging Kirishima.

"Javi', now!" Estelle directed, ducking down and placing her hands on the landing they were standing on; with their opponents diving in, Javier took a few deep breaths before his lips pursed tightly and his cheeks puffed out. "Everyone, look out!" Midoriya loudly authorized with his classmates following suit, moving out of the way of his projectile lava vomit. When the splurges of lava hit the water, "What's this? Where's all this smoke coming from? We can't see anything!" Fussed Present Mic as the camera lenses fixated on the event area began fogging up; as the lava hit the cold water it quickly cooled while simultaneously boiling the water that started the tempered process of dry out the pool. The caustic plumes that exuded from the water was not only hot but known to cause bodily irritation due to the mixture of acid and glass; the few pieces of delta that formed on the water's surface had broken apart and sank, and when the cold water engulfed the hot rocks they exploded, propelling small rubble into the air and causing rouge waves.

Once the steam had dissipated and the cameras were cleared, the results left the audience in shock: the entirety of Class 1-A had taken safety away and outside of the pool, coughing and gasping in between breathes at the edge of the pool as they scratched at their red, splotchy skin, some even received a few small lacerations. Not only had the platforms taken damage as well, a quarter of them were now gone- the material never stood a chance in the intense heat, causing them to melt and deform. What was left unchanged, was the placement of International 1-B: Estelle had coated the landing using her quirk to prevent distortion as well as place a wall between her teammates and Javier's splash back.

"Jeez Javi', ya' really know how to make a mess of things." Mickey groaned as they fanned away any lingering debris.

Javier couldn't muster up a response, he meekly grumbled while rubbing his stomach.

Ximena wasn't much for words, either, as her mouth was in too much pain to speak.

"Ugh, Atacama ain't got nothin' on my skin." Estelle whined, softly picking at her skin after finishing breaking down her barrier.

"Ahh, was that really necessary?!" Hollered Present Mic, "I doubt those things were cheap! Also, this counts as a win, right?"

"The objective is to knock the students off the platforms, the submersion rule was only when they fell in the water. So-" Aizawa earnestly commented.

"In that case, International 1-B wins!"

"Hurray!" Estelle and Mickey rejoiced simultaneously, lackadaisically jostling Javier and Ximena's arms so that they cheered alongside them with the same energy, "Yaaaaaay~" They weakly mewled in broken unison.

"Err- and we'll be right back after we take a short break!" Present Mic announced, letting out a sigh away from his microphone afterwards. When the commotion had subsided and the atmosphere became more relaxed, Class's 1-A and 1-B were being checked over individually by Recovery Girl, making sure Javier's laze didn't cause any permanent damages. In the midst of everyone's check-ups, Javier was also going up to each individual member of Class 1-A and apologizing for using such an extreme attack against them knowing they were ill-prepared to combat against his quirk. "Javi' I think they get it, you don't have to apologize to each of them." Estelle intervened with a lighthearted chuckle.

"No, no, that wouldn't be right at all!" He protested, "Besides, I already promised everyone that I'd make them dinner later!"

"I don't think any of us ever had authentic Chilean food before. We really can't wait!" Uraraka replied, awkwardly locked in an apologetic hand hold.

"Speaking of apologies," Kirishima spoke, "Sorry about your mouth, Ximena."

"Oh, you're alright, I'm sorry I nearly swallowed you."

"Don't sweat it, besides, now I can say I almost got eaten by a snake!"

"IIIII don't know if you'd want to count that as an achievement."

After an hour of recollection and restoration, "Phew! Sorry for the wait, everyone!" Present Mic returned, "Now that everything is back to normal, we begin the final match of the first event: Japan's 3-A verses International 1-A!" With each team choosing their positions on the platforms, 3-A had 1-A already cornered; though 3-A was completely spread out, 1-A isolated themselves in the far left corner. "Let's get this show on the road! Ready, go!" He broadcasted from the press box, the students starting the match off at a steady pace; unlike 1-B they didn't bombard individual opponents or surround them like 1-A. Rather than keeping themselves static, their upperclassmen were weaving between landings and sliding across the bridges to prevent themselves from being taken out in groups. Those of 1-A continued to stand and watch as they bounced around, waiting for them to make their first move, and just as soon as Keali'i started to raise his arms, they attempted to counter his quirk with theirs first then risk putting their bodies in harms way.

What they never expected, however, was to be suddenly launched up in the air along with the pool water while looking down at their opponents who were still inside the pool on the same landing. "Would you guys quit messing with the pool, please?! We just went through this!" Screeched Present Mic as the students of 3-A bustled to collect themselves before making impacting. While leveled with the pool floor, Arjan tapped and knocked against the concrete in sequence then slammed down both of his palms as the pool began rapidly filling with water; many of 3-A had not been taken out by their surprise attack, but those who were were engulfed by the waves as soon as they landed in the water, their school portraits going dark. Back over at 1-A, the water cascaded over them in a dome shape, leaving them completely dry, due to Yemi's quirk and because of Arjan- "It seems that International 1-A has discovered a loophole and is using it to their advantage!" Present Mic acknowledged that the student had used his quirk to raise the platforms slightly above water level from the shell of the pool.

Serpentining around the four of them, they distributed their quirks once more in hopes of gaining control of their situation, but whatever they threw at them was either deflected by Yemi's barrier or rendered by Keali'i's whips of pressurized air- some even ending up getting cut while caught in the crossfire. As the students of 3-A became deterred by their opponents, being picked off one by one, they continued to contest, and just when it seemed as though they had an opportunity to outsmart them, Arjan took advantage of their position- using the smallest opening possible to deliver his attacks. Arjan plunged his hands into the concrete pillar he had created under the landings and brought forth large hands attached to elongated arms made of the same material; he was able to bat away any troublesome students and smack them into the water with ease. Others were able to avoid these heavy attacks, but it wasn't long before Arjan's speed had caught up with them, failing to escape the capture of his grasp.

The fight was not over from there, the stragglers were not going down without a fight- "As expected, U.A. Japan's Big 3 are not to be trifled with!" He spoke in regards to Nejire and Tamaki who, along with a couple others, were struggling to keep Arjan's artificial hand from closing around them. As Tamaki's tentacle fingers wrapped around the cement arms they began to crumble apart, making their way towards the source, but before they could reach close enough, Yemi sprang in and allowed her form to become entangled. What seemed like a thoughtless act to save a team member was actually a cleverly disguised maneuver; generating an electrical current throughout her chaise, his tentacles made a decent conductor to his body. Yemi didn't emit too strong of voltage but just enough to stun him and cause him to collapse his tentacles which then released her from Tamaki's trap.

Under the confusion, they were only a split second away from catching their next attack, but the blow from a cement foot from below had not crossed their minds, not even in that moment; from the assistance of Shelby, Arjan was able to position himself so that he could drive his foot into the pillar along with both his hands. A group crushed by his hand, the other- his foot, allowing them to fall into the water along with the concrete blocks as he pulled his extremities out. When the last body entered the water, "International 1-A wins!"


	11. Slumber

As the cheers from the crowd began subduing, with the excitement still at it's pique, they were already setting up for the next event that was taking place inside the arena; without much equipment to be propped up, the audience was revving up for the starting announcement. "Wake up, everyone! Our second event is about to begin, are you ready?!" Exclaimed Present Mic, hyping up everyone as they roared with enthusiasm. "For our second game, students will be playing Don't Wake Hound Dog: the objective of this game is to make it to the other side of the field, using any means necessary, without 'waking up' and getting caught creeping by Pro Hero and U.A. Japan's Lifestyle Guidance Counselor, Hound Dog!" Presenting Hound Dog on stage, he was dressed in light blue footie pajamas with a dark blue paw print pattern and matching night cap, his normal muzzle, and holding a baby blanket and teddy bear while standing next to an comically-sized bed and alarm clock. "The first four to cross the finish line, wins! So nestle up and get cozy, because we're about to begin!"

"First up, Japan's 1-A verses International 3-A!" With both teams already positioned on opposite sides of each other, the underclassmen noted an inkling from their opponents: while three of them were standing grouped up, Fatima was clung to Omar's back as he held up her legs- a visible indication of weakness in numbers. "Are we ready?! Get set-!"

"Would you be quiet?! I'm trying to sleep here!" Shouted Hound Dog, making himself comfortable in his bed.

"H-He yelled at me." Present Mic whined.

"I think he might be taking this role a little too seriously." Followed up Aizawa.

"In any case, go!"

At the start of his bid, Class 1-A took haste, putting themselves ahead of their competition; taking what they had observed from the previous event and applying the new rule set to create a more effective strategy, despite uncertainty, they were more prepared than before. Uraraka and Tokoyami used their quirks to cautiously soar to their destination while carrying Asui and Hagakure, leaving everyone else to tiptoe on the ground. Simultaneously, over at 3-A's side, Chelsea flattened the crown of her top hat and passed it to Omar, who activated his quirk then handed the hat over to Bassam as he pulled back his arm and threw it similarly to a flying disc; while he was able to pick up the distance using brute force, Omar had to assist him with his accuracy, maneuvering the hat to glide over the line, but 1-A paid no mind to what was happening on the opposite side, not when they were so close to crossing the finish line- when the crowd was putting their hearts into their vociferous cheers for the home team, and even though they had lost the first event, it didn't mean they were out of the competition or that they weren't capable enough. When they put their heads together and focused on the mission, their wasn't anything Class 1-A couldn't accomp-

**Brrrinnng!**

_The alarm clock. How could a miscellaneous object like that make such a blusterous noise?_

The sound completely startled those in close proximity, including the few who were close to finishing first: Uraraka stumbled mid-air with Asui still in reach unlike Hagakure, who slipped out of Tokoyami's grasp but was caught without hesitation. Their movements, however, were animated seconds too late, turning the attention of Hound Dog as he indescribably snarled and began chasing them back to the starting line- leaving everyone else on the field frozen in place (except for Mineta). When the commotion subsided, Bassam removed the cloth draped around Omar's torso and handed it to Chelsea, unfolding the fabric to it's full width before tousling the length of the fabric around and over their group; when the match reseted, with one hardy swoop- "It seems International 3-A isn't messing with perfection, they've disappeared! Again!" Present Mic whispered loudly into his microphone as Omar's cloth fell gingerly to the ground.

As Class 1-A realized they were falling into the same ploy, they hustled their progression despite Hound Dog's aggressive tossing and turning, but just as they lunged towards the finish line- as Hound Dog was waking up, the crown of Chelsea's hat sprang up; popping around sporadically, Chelsea herself appeared from underneath and with charismatic showmanship, she tipped her hat down from her head and reached inside, pulling up the rest of the team who were dressed appropriately for the act, oddly enough. With their opponents piled on top of each other: Asui's tongue, Shoji's appendages, Jiro's earphone jacks, Yaoyoruza's various elongated objects, and everyone's hands were outstretched towards the finish line, but none of them touched. "Winners, International 3-A!"

"International 1-B verses Japan's 3-A, are you ready?! Go!" And with that, 3-A was well on their way towards the finish line smoothly and quietly while 1-B bounced idly back behind the start. "Okay Mick, what's the plan?" Estelle asked, amping herself up as she kept her body moving.

Mickey, with a vacant look in their eye, stood silently for a moment, "Huh? . . . Oh right, the plan!"

"W-Wait, didn't you say earlier you knew how to get us over there without anyone even noticing?" Ximena questioned unnervingly.

"Yeah, yeah- hah, um . . . Hmm . . ."

"What are you doing?!" Estelle shouted.

As Mickey visibly pondered, the other three watched with audible disarray as their opponents were inching closer to their goal, "We're going to lose!" Cried out Javier.

"Why haven't they left yet?" Whispered one of the upperclassmen.

"Maybe they didn't understand the directions?" Another one questioned.

**Brrrinnng!**

That ringing was not unwavering, but unlike the students before them, 3-A had collectively settled themselves closer to the ground to avoid the inevitable result of the shrill noise. When Hound Dog awoke, he noted that no one was moving on one side of the field while the other remain completely empty. *"What are those kids up to?"* He thought to himself as he turned the key behind the clock and resumed sleeping.

Just as the match started up again, Mickey snapped their fingers, a lit light bulb appearing near their head, "Guys, guys-" they spoke nonchalantly as they quickly took the light bulb and tossed the object inside their cranium compartment, then wrapping their long arms over their friend's shoulder and bringing them uncomfortably close together, "You got to start trustin' me more-" Mickey smirked, keeping their friend's irritated. "In an unknown turn of events, it looks like 3-A will be taking Japan's first win of the day!" Exclaimed Present Mic, the crowd thrilled beyond capacity; everyone's eyes were fixated on the imminent victory, the entirety of their class feeling spry, and the weight of their harsh loss was being lifted. Until . . .

They only looked away for a second, but a second was all it took. They don't know when, or how, they didn't hear a peep, but their they were- standing over the finish line, not an ounce of sweat or fatigue to be seen. As far Class 3-A knew, none of the international students besides their own had any teleportation quirks or moves, but there was no doubt that was them right in front of them; even the majority of their group was awed and confused.

"I don't know what you're so worried about, I told you I had a plan, didn't I?" Remarked Mickey as they filed their nails with a nail file over their gloved hand, implying they had been waiting an outlandish length of time for the other class to finish.

"When did-?! How'd you-?! You were over there but now you're here?! What the-?! Ahh!" Present Mic, just like Aizawa, Hound Dog, and the whole arena, were completely flabbergasted.

"Mickey . . . W-What just happened?" Stuttered Javier.

"How did we get here?" Ximena uttered softly.

"You never told us you could teleport!" Estelle clamored.

"What do you mean? You're kidding, right?"

"What?"

"Umm . . ."

"I mean, this isn't what I had in mind but hey, it worked."

"E-Excuse me . . . ?"

"Whatever, I give up! International 1-B wins!"

After a brief intermission, "Japan's 1-B and International 1-A, this is your last chance to earn some big points!" Present Mic declared as both teams were locked in a fierce stare down.

"It's pay back time, assholes!" Yelled Kamakiri; in between 1-B's jeers, Arjan had been secretly taking off one of his boots as the rest of the team grouped together to obscure him from the others. Once his clothed foot touched back onto ground, he began tapping and swaying his foot then bouncing his toes faintly against the terrain a few times until stopping his movements completely.

"Let's get readddyyy, and go!"

Scrapping their previous strategy from their last match, 1-B began working quickly but opted going forward right away: with Kuroiro on his back, Honenuki leaped over the starting, activating his quirk once his feet touched the ground. As they waded through the mucky earth, Kuroiro used the blackness of his quirk to prevent himself from becoming completely stuck, moving quietly gripping onto Honenuki without alerting Hound Dog. At the same time, Shelby had lifted the bottom of her mask with hand while the other appeared to be adjusting something underneath.

Proceeding with the next step of their plan, Honenuki and Kuroiro were almost half way to the finish line with no indication of their opponents making an attempt to move forward; whether they were going to make a move to stifle the others wasn't known, but precautions were made readily available. When Shiozaki's vines were making their way across the field, the boys climbing over the finish line were carefully wrapped around the waist before pulling back to tighten the stems. "Incredible! Japan's 1-B has pulled off what the previous classes couldn't! Things are looking very promising!" Rejoiced Present Mic, dialing himself back to keep Hound Dog from giving him dirty looks, and just as Pony and Komori started to slowly climb along the vines-

**Brrrinnng!**

Dead stop- shaken, but unmoved for the short reset duration. With a sigh of relief, the girls continued to push through the time consuming task, visibly making more progress than 1-A. They had gotten far enough. Arjan, kicking the ground in a swift downward strike, created a large crack that trailed over to opposite side of the starting line; they scrambled out of the way to avoid the attack, however, they didn't account for the huge trapping pit the crack would expand into. Using everything in their power to catch themselves from falling to the bottom, there was very little to be done to help those still on the surface as they were being dragged down the field, "You're making too much noise!" Spat Hound Dog.

To prevent 1-B from making an expeditious recovery, Arjan slid his foot to the side before following a clockwise motion upwards until his foot was hovering above his head; while repositioning his body, his hand concurrently dragged along the turf to complete the one- eighty. This abrupt action cause a large wave of dirt and lawn to taper off and begin filling the hole, but with Tsuburaba's quirk, he was able to create a barrier out of the air over his classmates to prevent them from being entombed. "So this was their plan, huh?" Monoma contemplated out loud, "To pull us into an open grave then bury us alive with little to no hesitation . . . How morbid, and yet you consider me the villainous one!"

"Shut up, Monoma!" Class 1-B yelled.

"Kuroiro, Honenuki, Pony, Komori," beckoned Kendo, "Don't worry about us right now, as long as you're up there, you can still cross the finish line! We only need four people to win, so work together to make it over there without getting caught! Just don't let 1-A get the last win!"

As Kendo was making her call, Yemi, Shelby, and Arjan positioned themselves accordingly on Keali'i and with a forward leap, he activated his quirk to moonwalk onto the field. With a facile pace, the group was already making more progress than 1-B had before them; in an effort to get back into the game, they altered the original plans in attempt to combine them, but were faltering on the execution. Stirring underneath the comforter, Hound Dog was incited by a particular noise, one that he could not entirely discern, however, the unacquainted melody soothed him, as if every part of him had succumbed to relaxation.

Then suddenly, he was out like a light, and no one was none the wiser- except for Aizawa, who furrowed his brow at insolence of his student's quirk use. Now that Hound Dog was asleep, 1-A took the opportune time to steady themselves as an act of mildness, knowing that neither team was in harm of receiving any penalties. Though their efforts were not recognized, their opponents continued to strive for victory in their desperate attempt. In the end, they only delayed the inevitable, and they knew that, and whether that was callous or not wasn't up for debate at the moment, it was best to just get it over with.

**Brrrinnng!**

"And in the knick of time, International 1-A snags the last win of the first half of U.A.'s Battle Royale, but don't worry, ladies and gentlemen, we have plenty more to come right after our halftime show, so stick around!" During the brief announcement, lingering members of the facility were having difficulty getting Hound Dog to wake up; a cautious yet hard pinch between sensitive skin was the only solution in the matter.


	12. Interval

Finally, a moment of revelry- relief from the intense competition, the time for the spotlight to shine on other students; what seemed like short matches had felt like hours, the audience was feeling worn down but hoped the merriment of noncompetitive games would lift their spirits in time for the final half. Sequentially, the faculty of U.A. Japan had been anticipating the exhibition of their advanced learning curve; this was why The International Rising Hero's Championship was initiated to begin with. They knew, of course, the ferocity would be difficult to watch for both heroes and bystanders alike, but this just wasn't for the students, it was for everyone. Once this was all over, everyone will have learned their newfound strengths and weakness, and be able to come together to become the heroes the world needs them to be.

In light of the festivities, the line-up for the halftime show were packed with ingenuous activities meant to highlight sportsmanship and healthy rivalry, all while holding a moderate level of entertainment value: during the athletic relay, the hundred meter race turned heads as the fastest students assembled behind the starting line. Keali'i', one of the participants, bursting ahead of the competition once Present Mic had made his call, halting himself just over the finish line; those behind him, felt the impact of the intense blast of air- that tore the clothing off their bodies. Oops. Keali'i, anxiously pretending that he didn't see what had happened, turned away while shielding his eyes. At least everyone was wearing underwear today.

"-Up next, the sculpture contest!" Present Mic announced: students who were capable of chiseling stone columns had their creative skills put to the test- the more immaculate the execution, the better. With the largest turn out so far, the arena was filled with imaginative minds of cultivating proportions. Mickey, one of the participants, was dressed for the event in their beret and spattered paint smock- and with a single, gentle tap of their hammer and chisel, the column had crumbled into (an uncanny, photorealistic) The Thinker. Arjan, who also joined the event, had outshined the others with his rendition of a renaissance-era, All Might statue in the essence of Atlas, the titan condemned to hold up the celestial heavens for eternity. With the crowd in awe, and All Might himself dramatically in tears of admiration, Arjan was declared the winner; Kirishima, who was next to Arjan, was about to congratulate him when he noticed he was nowhere to be seen. Overwhelmed, Arjan hid behind his masterpiece, crouching down with his head in his lap while cradling his legs.

During the skating competition, students who were strongest in their performance and agility attributes exhibited the best of their capabilities for the audience to perceive. "I don't know how I got here, or how I ended up in this, but I will win this." Todoroki mumbled under his breath, dazzling in his figure skating outfit of soft lycra and mesh, acrylic paint, glistening with rhinestones and swarovski crystals. Similarly, everyone participating was at an amateur-moderate level but enjoyed their time out from the senselessness, however, there was one competitor skating literal circles around everyone; of course, to no one's surprise, the student who had retractable figure skates was enchanting everyone with her silky movements. None other than Estelle smoothly turned and spun around- leaping and jumping gracefully unlike any other: this was her element, her show, and she was proving it to everyone watching. In a moment of inspiration, there was an attempt made to follow her step sequences, but results were unsuccessful; after going against a rough patch, Todoroki was rendered on his hands and knees, and Estelle took the opportunity to make a risky move. With adequate speed, her backwards steps turned into a backflip with a generous arch, landing the move on one foot.

The arena erupted with cheers and shouts as Present Mic's overly enthusiastic spectating encouraged their roaring excitement. Estelle's showmanship didn't end there, not until she added a few flawless axels followed with a sit-upright combination spin. Completely out of breath, Estelle soaked up her much deserved applause, her eyes sparkling brighter than her hero costume. In the kiss and cry area of the stadium, the students in the skating competition were joined with their class president and a person of their choice; each area had proper seating and was adorned with creative backdrops and ornaments that best represented their class and participant. Everyone, now patiently awaiting the results.

As most had already observed, the scores received throughout this event were less than desired; they were in school to help the world, not become athletes. Of course, ineffectuality, to a degree, wasn't unusual. From Class 1-A, Todoroki found the results exceptionally cruel, given that he was one of the few students attending U.A. Japan who had an ice quirk, and in light of the outcome, Midoriya cautiously consoled him as Iida reassured him of a victory next year. Over at Class 1-B, Kendo sat proudly next to Estelle as Mickey, who once again was dressed for the occasion- in their loose, black knit beanie, salmon knit, button up sweater, and white turtle neck, was rubbing Estelle's shoulders roughly. Her score, worthily, was the highest, and crowd rewarded her with their praise while Kendo and Mickey hugged her tightly.

That wasn't the last of 1-B, however, "Has the day finally come? Have we, Class 1-B, gotten the upper hand on Class 1-A?" Monoma trembled, sneering towards the three boys from behind his class's backdrop, "You really thought having an ice quirk would give you an advantage over a olympic figure skater?! Don't make me laugh! How does-!" And with the assist from Kendo, his rant hastily ended. "Sorry about that, guys." She apologized.

"Ya' know, you really outta start keepin' that thing on a leash." Mickey pointed out, Estelle annoyingly nodding in agreement.


	13. Gauntlet

The levity wasn't meant to last; as soon as the roster for the halftime show came to completion, the students anxiously began to prepare for their inexorable butchery. Just as the ruse died down and the final sets were put into place, the international students had resided back on stage to watch to alongside the audience as their respected classes go through their last challenge together. "Here we are, families, students, and Pro Heroes, the final event before our grand finale brawl- and folks, this one's a real doozy. Deviously crafted by the athletic prodigies of our aggressively competitive, superiority-driven brother and sister school's in the United States, I present to you: The Gauntlet!"

Revealing the entire layout through the arena's large screen: "Our students will be starting off their 5k dredging through four six-foot trenches in the gloopy Muddy Mayhem, then clean themselves off in the Ittsy-Bittsy Spider, an upwards climb in enclosed tunnels with high-powered water jets drenching the inside. Next, The Defier, a four part course, will challenge our students on balance, core, and upper body strength, following up with the Flying Squirrel, a series of widely-spaced slacklines suspended above a treacherous mud pool- and we're not even half way there, ladies and gentlemen! The Block Breaker, a bridge of step-sensitive spinning blocks, will need to be traversed before moving onto A Wing and A Prayer, involving a six foot mud gap jump and swinging cargo net climb. Next, students will have to crawl under a staked down cargo net to push through the Chokehold, then navigate between a laborious web of slack lines less they fall victim to The Prey. In the final stretch, the remaining students will be slipping under and over multiple tubes in the Twin Tales, and lastly, make their way up the enormous quarter pipe to claim victory on Mt. Olympus!" Taking a quick breath, Present Mic switched to a more hushed tone, "Listen, if you think this is intense, they were trying to push their standard eight to ten mile course," then back to his normal voice, "-and so, the first four to finish The Gauntlet will be qualified to face against their class's international students!"

The students of U.A. Japan, the next generation of Pro Heroes, protectors of the people, saviors of the free world, were perturbed- frozen in absolute disbelief. This wasn't considered standard, by American terms? When was this done? Once, twice, more than three times a year? How have they managed to survive this long? They had two students from the United States, and nothing about them seemed disheveled (Shelby was a different case all together), yet here they are; and of course, when water wasn't bad enough, they had to throw in mud, because why not? At least they could be thankful they weren't attending school in the states.

"Isn't this supposed to be a sports _day?_" Javier fretted out loud.

"How is anyone expecting them to move after this?" Omar followed up.

"At least it's only a 5k, right? Ha ha-" Bassam faltered with a forced, light chuckle.

"I heard that American U.A.'s were tough, but I never thought they'd be this rough." Fatima commented softly.

"You think this is bad?" Chimed in Chelsea, "Try having to do that eight to ten 'k twice a year with even more obstacles like those."

Estelle nearly choked, "**Twice?!**"

"Nah, nah, nah, see now- that's way too much." Mickey remarked.

"Oh, there you guys are!" Ximena spoke up as Shelby, Keali'i, Yemi, and Arjan joined them back on stage. "We were hoping you'd get back in time to watch!"

"Did you get done what needed to be done?" Asked Fatima.

". . . Y-Yeah." Arjan lightly nodded before mumbling his response.

"On your mark, get set . . . Goooo!" That call had rang twice already, and with each time the outcome was near identical: those who did not want to participate, or felt they had little to no chance of succeeding had they won, dropped out obliviously. Yes they felt humiliated, yes their actions were unsportsmanlike, but those who actually stood a chance deserved to take it in full stride. Then, there were the determined ones- the ones who fiercely clawed their way ahead of the pack and gnawed their way through the obstacles, roaring alongside those in the stands who believed in them, knowing they were doing them proud- knowing they'll show them what they're truly capable of; their grit was a beacon of prospect.

Eight students had earned their place in the final fight, leaving only four left to be determined; there was no room for hesitation, which ever four were to finish would have the entirety of their class's and school's reputation on the line. Unlike the previous events, points were less of a priority. "Class 1-A, make every second count- this is your big break!" Declared Present Mic as the students assembled closely-knit behind the starting line, "Are you readyyyyyy? Start!" And without a moment of reluctance, they were off.

Right from the get-go, Tokoyami, Iida, Bakugo, Asui, Todoroki, Uraraka, and Midoriya were able to avoid having to trek through liquid mud by hopping from each mud mound, impeccably clearing their first challenge. Mina, Koda, Yaoyoruza, Shoji, Jiro, Kaminari, Kirishima, Hagakure, Aoyama, Mineta, Sato, Ojiro, and Sero were left to slosh in the murky waters, but with steady cooperation, everyone was able to make it over without foul. The next obstacle, which felt like a reliever, had a fair level of difficulty but was cleared by everyone; the only annoyance came from the wait time as there were only four tubes.

The Defier, on the other hand, became the first testament of strength that was inclined favorably for the athletic students. The first part of the course consisted of a simple balance beam a few feet above glistening, loose mud, all of whom who had crossed it were able to do so successfully with only a few moments of anxiety. The second, however, had devastating slip-ups as their strength failed to keep them up: the students had to traverse between two wooden walls in any possible means, the easiest and fastest method requiring core tightening. Those who were unsuccessful on any portion of the obstacle had to restart back at the first part. Anyone who flourished past the first half of the obstacle was now faced with the third, which consisted of horizontally-installed two by fours with various knobs and handles screwed into the wood. Dexterous fingers were the key to pacing this part of the obstacle, and the overall design was meant to challenge that as casualties continued. In the final part of The Defier, the only thing separating them from completion was a rotating wheel on pegs and some deep clefts bent into the pipes; by using forward momentum, students had to pull themselves along the railings from one point to the next. Most had plodded the third obstacle, a few, however, had met their match.

Balance seemed to be a theme as the fourth obstacle required a steady body. The separated slacklines pushed and swayed with every tiny movement, making crossing the straps more complicated than perceived. Some were able to travel along easier than others, and those who couldn't made the obstacle progressively annoying. The Block Breaker wasn't any less arduous, but certainly more painful; any careless lapse either resulted in a chin or back slam against the solid blocks. This obstacle alone was enough to drop more than a quarter of the class's participants.

A Wing and A Prayer and Chokehold had similar feats- each requiring proper grip and footing in order to properly navigate through the troublesome netting. The Prey wasn't too different from the Flying Squirrel, but the labyrinth was deceitfully designed, causing intervals of confusion and misdirection, even several trips and falls.

Though these obstacles weren't nearly as problematic as the few before, the amount of physical and mental energy needed to keep going was starting to take a toll on the remaining students, which in turn began to pick off each young heroes one by one until six students were left to face the final two obstacles; Iida, Bakugo, Todoroki, Uraraka, Midoriya, and Kirishima took to the dusty track on their way to the Twin Tales. Bakugo, who was already in the lead, wanted to secure his place in the final four- more importantly, to be first. The dip that led into the course was patted down smoothly for an easy transition, but a few notches could change that; as he slid down the hill, he dug his heels into the dirt to uneven the path. When the others had caught up, they instantly became aware of the changes that had not been there from the preview, leading them to carefully descend bypass any visible irregularities. Uraraka, who was just as wary as everyone else, accidentally guided her foot in an unfortunate spot that caused her foot to sink in and pivot her ankle in an abnormal position, tumbling down the rest of the way as soon as she freed her foot.

"Uraraka!" Cried out Midoriya and Iida, retracing back their steps.

"I'm alright-" she spoke out, wincing as she tried to stand up, "I think I hurt my ankle, that's all."

"Here, let me-"

"No!" Uraraka contested, "Just go."

"Uraraka. . ."

"I said go!" She shouted, "If anyone has a better chance of finally beating those guys, it'd be you two. I know you can do it."

They each looked at each other with affirmative before Kirishima came up and kneeled behind Uraraka, gently placing his hand on her shoulder, "Oy, you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine, you go on ahead too."

"Wha-? No way." Kirishima detested as he placed her arm over his shoulders and lifted them both off the ground, "As much as I want win too, I wouldn't feel right leaving you behind."

"Thank you. . ."

"Besides, if these two don't eventually get moving, we'll finish long before they do."

With a jump in their step, Midoriya and Iida dashed ahead of their two classmates to properly begin the second to last obstacle; while Todoroki was more than half way finished with Twin Tales, Bakugo, in his boisterous disposition, had clasped a hand at the edge of Mt. Olympus and pulled himself up onto the top. He was going to make sure everyone knew that he was first.

"You're dead! You hear me?! I'm sending you freaks back home in caskets!"

"Coming in first for Class 1-A is Katsuki Bakugo! Only three more spots remain, ladies and gentlemen!"

In order to catch back up, Midoriya and Iida had to slide through the mud before hitting the tubes then slip underneath them while pushing forward by digging their feet into the viscous earth. "Spot number two has been claimed by Shoto Todoroki! Two more left!" Present Mic hollered, the two boys continuing to coast and dive until they reached the end- sprinting towards to the last obstacle of the course. Despite the tribulations, Iida was able to jump ahead of Midoriya, "Looks like Tenya Iida has snagged third while- yes, **YES**, Izuku Midoriya takes the forth place, meaning we now have all twelve contenders insured to face off in the finale! Are they ready? Are you ready? The conclusion of U.A. Japan's first ever U.A. Battle Royale is just around the corner, so stay tuned!"


	14. Indivisibility

"Dear listeners, I cannot express the amount of excitement felt here inside the press box at this very moment-"

"Get off the table." Mumbled Aizawa.

"-To be the first ones to witness not one, but three matches of which our top students will face off against U.A.'s designated world champions, is truly a historic day to behold-"

"-You're going to fall."

"-And who better to start us off other than the up and coming heroes of Class 3-A!"

As the crowd erupted into quaking shouts of excitement, the two teams began to make their way towards center stage. "Tamaki, are you okay? You look like you're about to puke!" Nejire innocently pointed out.

"Of course I'm not okay," he quivered, "This is essentially my worst nightmare come to life . . . But, with Mirio not out here, there was no way I was going to allow you to face these guys by yourself. You're my friend too- we stick together, no matter what."

"Gee, it doesn't sound like you have a whole lot of faith in us." Commented Ryu Himejima: Blind Faith was the second to complete The Gauntlet in their class. A student who worked his way up despite his blindness was the brawler hero Japan was about to prepare for. With his quirk, Perspiring Armor, his skin hardened the more he secreted sweat; with his keen senses and passionate fighting skills, he wasn't an opponent to take lightly.

"Seriously? That was awful- even for someone as lame as you." Chided Minako Meioh: Accelerator was able to dominate The Gauntlet, coming in first place with the help of her quirk, Void Runner. By moving forwards and backwards through space she can move in any direction and appear up to several yards away; while phasing, her 'past' self remains cognitive, allowing her to call out any changes before repositioning. Quick on her feet, she could run circles around anyone.

When the international students reached the steps of the arena, Omar took the hands of Chelsea and Fatima as they walked up the stairs, but as soon as Bassam took his hand, catching him off guard, he quickly turned his head in the opposite direction, pretending to be bashful; Omar moved his hand away, swatting at his shoulder as Bassam giggled on his way up. Then, the playfulness began to fade, and the two groups were standing together a few feet apart from each other- the crowd catching onto the atmosphere. In the moment of silence, a couple of devious glances were shared, "Get ready, it's show time!"

Present Mic made his call, but the students were left shuffling in place, waiting for the first one to strike. "Man, you guys-!" Meioh blurted out as she dashed forward in a zigzag pattern using her quirk, "-are too slow!" With a dive kick from above, Meioh's attack was blocked by a rapier held by Chelsea, a sword not meant to block heavy attacks but sturdy enough to protect Omar and allow him to side step in the opposite direction. "Starting early with that fencing shtick, are ya'?" She admonished before being swept away by the swipe of her sword. "You'd be surprised how far you'd get if you actually learned a thing or two, Meioh." Chelsea sneered.

"-Or paid attention." Tamaki murmured, an octopus tentacle wrapping around Chelsea's ankle and swinging her up in the air. As Fatima went to her rescue, Himejima charged in to prevent her from using her quirk- but Omar lunged forward, evading his initial attack to strike his hand onto his bicep while activating his quirk; when he went to pull back Himejima, he pumped his muscular arm and jerked Omar forward, grasping onto his hero costume to catch his fall. "Your quirk may be stronger than mine, but you sure as hell ain't stronger than me!" He exclaimed while slamming Omar to the ground, but before he could struggle, he disappeared into the ground, "Shi-!" Just as he went to dodge, Fatima's knee had already made contact with his forehead; Himejima heard her approaching attack, but with her quirk it was difficult to determine how far along she'd appear, with or without sight.

"Oh hell yeah, I'm starving!" Bassam shouted gleefully, jumping towards Tamaki's tentacles with his large mouth already open wide. In fear of his sharp teeth, Tamaki let go of Chelsea's ankle and lurched back his appendages, "Oh no you don't!" Nejire countered, conjuring shockwaves from the palm of her hand towards her opponent. "Sorry Nejire. . ." Chelsea relented under her breath, removing her top hat mid-air and waving her wand above the underbrim, pulling out a white rabbit and gingerly floating them between the two fighters. Once she saw a live animal in her peripheral, she exerted her energy to prevent the attack from landing, throwing off her balance for a moment as the waves landed off stage; floating down slowly, the rabbit safely landed back in Chelsea's hat, shaken, but unscathed.

"Don't think we'll be taken down so easily!" Himejima yelled as he came for Bassam- who, alerted beforehand, was able to rotate the multi-chamber of his barrel and attach his prosthetic arm, catching Himejima's hands with only a slight push back. The two strong students struggled against each other, falling into a complete stalemate until Bassam tried to sideswipe Himajima's leg, feeling an acute pain upon impact. "It sure is hot today, isn't it, chum?" He jested with a grin, throwing the other down on the ground, ready to heavily stomp on his body. Bassam, despite his sea creature quirk, was no amateur when fighting on land; while he wasn't as fast as he would've been in water, he was able to tumble sideways and evade the attack. Jumping back to his feet, he dove low and successfully tackled Himejima to the ground.

Meanwhile, Fatima and Meioh were phasing and teleporting across the stage, bursting in and out of thin air as they pursued each other. "C'mon Fatima, I can chase you around all day, but you're going to have to make a move at some point!" While both girls weren't built for offensive fighting, Fatima knew that Meioh had an edge over her; catching her off guard somehow was the only way she was going to get a hit on her.

"Oh Amajiki~" Chelsea sung in his ear as she appeared behind him, floating slightly above ground with her biceps resting on his shoulders and her hands clasped together in front of him. "You know, for someone who was adamant about paying attention, you sure screwed yourself over. In fact, I think you should throw in the towel right now-" When she opened her hands, a pair of yellow, short-cut boxer briefs unfolded while being held at the waistband with both her thumb and index fingers.

"Oh! That's not a towel!" She retorted, acting playfully oblivious.

"C-Chelseeeeeaaaaa!" He exclaimed, completely red in the face as he tried to grab them from her, "Those are mine!"

Despite his efforts, he couldn't catch her, or rather, he was too embarrassed to move- knowing that he was still fully dressed. When Chelsea folded his garment back in her hand, "Oops!" A white dove flew out when her hands opened back up. Confounded beyond words, Tamaki crouched down with his hood shoved over his face, mumbling abashedly to himself. "Don't you think that was a little much?" Omar queried, Nejire wrapped in the threading of his quirk.

"Tamaki, it's okay! You're still have clothes on!" Nejire assured while struggling to free herself.

"W-We're in a fight- we're suppose to be on the same team, Omar!"

"So I'm not allowed to question the decisions my friends make?"

"Watch out!" Bassam yelled; during his one on one spare with Himejima, he had accidentally changed his prosthetic to a spear gun, suddenly relying on the possibility that his quirk hadn't made his skin impenetrable yet, but Himejima became wise quickly and was able to veer the direction of his shot which was heading towards the others. All four of them were able to elude the misfire, however, Meioh had just phased in a second too late, not being able to warn herself of the impending danger, and was pierced in the shoulder. With a cry of pain, Fatima gasped at the sight of her injured classmate as she appeared, yet Meioh wasn't unwavered; for a moment she staggered in place, then caught Fatima off guard with her abrupt attack. In retaliation, Himejima punched Bassam in the jaw but ended up hurting himself on contact.

"Will someone do something with this guy?!" Bassam called once more as he shoved Himejima off of him. In the thoroughness of combat, Fatima head butted Meioh to disorient her then used her quirk to switch places between Meioh and Himejima. Meioh, landing back on her feet, immediately serpentined Bassam while making quick jabs in vulnerable areas. Himejima, on the other hand, took his time to recollect himself, "I don't want to hurt you, Fatima, but-" After taking a swing at her, his fist phased out of existence and ended up punching himself in the head when his hand reappeared, but because of his quirk, he wasn't hurt by the attack. With each move he made at her was directed back at him, every punch and kick became more of an annoyance rather than tiresome; Himejima could hear her soft footsteps, smell her perfumed products- he always knew where she was and wasn't going to stop until he caught her slipping up.

While Bassam and Fatima were keeping them busy, Chelsea and Omar had their hands full with Tamaki and Nejire. Though he wasn't the quickest, Omar knew how to forestall and dodge- using his body type to his advantage against Tamaki's strikes; the threading of his quirk were strong enough to sever and pluck at his animalia extremities but unable to exceed being snapped or cut from sharp claws and fangs. With the ability to levitate, both Nejire and Chelsea elevated above the stage to fight one another; circumventing her shock waves in Chelsea's direction, her charge time was too slow for her movements, eluding Nejire's offenses and applying her own with stylized barrages of playing cards. In a poof of smoke Chelsea suddenly disappeared, leaving no indication of her location until she reappeared behind her with a lasso chain of colorful scarves- looping Nejire's wrist before she could respond, pulling her towards and kneeing her in her side.

At the other end of the stage, Bassam continued to take Meioh's rapid blows and though it seemed like she had him outmatched, he wouldn't have earned his place here if he easily succumbed to quirks more potent than his.

"Hey Meioh," Bassam spoke, his tone bubbly while blocking her attacks, "did you know there's over thirty-two thousand species of fish? Each one has their own set of traits and senses that makes them unique."

It seemed like the more he distracted both of them, the more coordinated he became.

"I'd like to think I'm pretty different myself- you could even say I have a lot going for me, I am a world wonder, after all."

The more he prattled on, the more frustrated and aggressive Meioh became. She couldn't get him to stop talking, and _what did he mean by that?_

"Like, did you know sharks can smell blood up to a quarter mile, and that they're capable of hearing heartbeats within a three-hundred foot radius?"

_**Sharks? **_The choice to share those facts specifically was peculiar but not unusual, even for Bassam, but the uneasy feeling brought upon the sight of his powerful jaw and glamorized serrated teeth soon developed to a realization . . . _But it was too late._

With a trick of the eye and a slight of hand, he was able to deceive her previous self using his right arm with the assistance from an unattached prosthetic tool; by successfully baiting her, she drove herself directly into the crown of his anchor and inevitably knocking the wind out of her. There was a collective shock amongst the rest of the participating students along with the audience themselves in a state of disheartenment. As he pointed his net gun prosthetic in her direction, past his wide-mouthed grimace he uttered softly in his native tongue, "يمكنكِ الهروب ولكن لا يمكنكِ الاختباء."

**Bang.** The net burst from the gun barrel and enveloped her body as she flew off the stage and onto the field; her body wriggled sluggishly under the mesh while regaining consciousness- exasperated and weakened, Meioh wallowed in her defeat.

"-And we have our first casualty, ladies and gentlemen!" Present Mic loudly emphasized.

"Meioh!" Himejima yelled.

In the midst of the commotion, Fatima shoved Himejima forward and teleported him to edge of the stage to join alongside Meioh, but he wasn't going alone. On his way through, he grabbed her sleeve and pulled her in, both of them now teetering over the field; acting quickly before they both were eliminated, Fatima teleported randomly onto stage, but unfortunately, for her, Himejima finally had her. "Fatima!" Her team shouted as they went to her aid- but Bassam had gotten caught up by the asperity of Tamaki's quirk while Nejire barricaded Chelsea and Omar. She desperately wriggled in his arms, unable to free herself from his strong hold and bite or scratch her way out, not without cracking her teeth. "It's alright, I'm not going to throw your unconscious body off stage like Bassam did." Himejima lightly assured, flexing his arm around her neck.

Bassam was gnawing his way through Tamaki's animal appendages to get directly to him, Nejire was keeping Chelsea and Omar's eyes on her with her flares of energy waves, and Fatima could only anxiously watch. It was becoming more difficult to breathe. In a last ditch effort, just as Nejire was charging up, she formed one small singularity, large enough for her arm to slide through as she went to release another spiral of waves. Then suddenly, Himejima and Fatima flew backwards, both of them crashing onto the concrete and separating from each other; by phasing Nejire's arm in front of them, her quirk continued to expend, inevitably releasing in their direction.

"Chelsea, I'm giving this one to you!" Fatima cried out, undertaking her feebleness to teleport Himejima closer Chelsea.

"I'm on it!" She loudly responded before leaping into the air with her arms out and top hat in hand.

Once Himejima was visible, the duration he spent in full view was less than seconds as he disappeared again into Chelsea's hat in one firm swoop. As she slowly pulled up her hat from the ground, a wooden cabinet emerged from beneath with Himejima's hands and face shown through the proportionally-designed holes: comically enough, the design painted beautifully on the front was of a risqué, burlesque woman.

"W-What the hell?! What did you do to me, why can't I move?! Chelsea!"

Chelsea leaned in close to his face and whispered, "Now you know how Fatima felt-" than began projecting to the audience, "Ladies and gentlemen, give a round of applause for our lovely volunteer here!"

The crowd was amazed by the spectacle of her quirk, easily being drawn in and following along with her performance. Continuing to combat the confines of the device, Tamaki and Nejire attempted to stop her until-

"Whoa, hey now, it'd be rude to interrupt the trick, don't you think?" Bassam mused, stepping in front of them along with Omar and Fatima, who was resting on Omar's back, and blocking their path, "Just sit back and enjoy the show!"

"You know, there's like a good ol' fashion saw blade to really excite things, but you know what would be better?" Chelsea asked out loud as she unfolded two saw blades similarly to a hand of playing cards, "If there were two, but you know what'd be even better?" She snapped her fingers, the blades bursting into flames, "If they were on fire."

"Chelsea wait!" Himejima stuttered, "I'm sorry for what I did, but it's a competition, y-you know?"

Chelsea rolled her eyes to look over at him, eyebrows furrowed with the right corner of her lips drawn back.

"You do know I can't see the face you're making, right?"

With a soft groan, Chelsea added the first blade into the slit at the base of the neck. The audience gasped and winced as Himejima held his breath, his body rattling with terror; finally, she added the second blade in the slit just above his hips. The outcome, however, was not what he expected: he was sweating heavily, his skin would be unbreakable by now, but even then he felt nothing. Did the impact break the blades? Did they even go through? Judging by the reactions of his surroundings, it didn't seem like the case. Just then, she pulled her wand out from underneath her tailcoat and tapped the cabinet three times, and when following the length upwards and arching her wand above her head, the cabinet split into three pieces and began floating above her along with the ignited saw blades.

"What's going on? What's happening to me?!" Though he couldn't see what was going on, he felt dissociative and lightheaded which only increased his anxiety.

The entire crowd applauded at the marvelous display before them, a rare sight that dazzled citizens and heroes alike. Chelsea lightly circled her wand around, moving the boxes and blades along with her, "You've been a terrific audience, truly, but unfortunately, this concludes our performance- Let's hear it again for our volunteer, ladies and gentlemen!" Among the enthusiastic ovation, Chelsea brought down her arm as she bowed, keeping Himejima and her props floating in front of her, then, as the rest of her team parted, Tamaki and Nejire pushed forward to his rescue. With a devious smirk, Chelsea quickly drove her wand in their direction, flinging the boxes and blades at an alarming speed; the materials were not linear, they rebounded off of the stage making his capture more difficult. In their best efforts, the results ended in failure- injuring themselves in the process while ultimately losing another teammate.

As the boxes began tumbling onto the field, they collided with one another and reformed back into the full cabinet Chelsea had presented earlier. With hard slam, the doors popped open and Himejima sprung out from the inside, unharmed and in one piece onto the terrain. Silent, unmoving, Himejima laid there in shock, and in devastation.

"-And U.A. Japan's 3-A loses another team member! Things are really coming down to the wire here, folks!" Present Mic spectated.

Two teams. Four members on one, the other- only two. Totaling six very exhausted, beaten students. At the end of each side of the stage they stood: short-winded, injured, and worn, but the fight was not over yet.

"This sucks." Bassam heaved as he plunged his anchor into the ground to lean on.

"We were already prepared for the worst," Omar replied, "If it comes down to it, I will use my quirk to it's full extent."

"Omar, no," Fatima's voice trembled, "you promised yourself you wouldn't."

"I know what I said, however, I cannot allow my friends to be senselessly defeated over some meaningless competition. I may not be able to forgive myself for doing it, but it may be all we have left."

"Omar . . ." Chelsea breathed softly.

In unification, as Omar held out his palms, the other three followed suit by placing their hands on top of the others and forming a chain.

"This is it, Nejire, there's not a whole lot they can do now. We can do this." Tamaki grunted while holding onto his bicep.

"Right!" Nejire affirmed.

Running out first, Chelsea, Bassam, and Fatima darted directly towards them while Omar stood back, immediately splitting up in different directions once they were several centimetres from Tamaki and Nejire, "They're planning something! Don't let them get away!" Nejire instructed, leading Tamaki as they followed after them. The three of them kept themselves close to the ground, periodically tagging the ground and, when they got close enough, their two opponents; they appeared to be making little effort in eliminating them and claiming their win, which stirred up suspicion in both of them. In a misfortune of clumsiness, Bassam slid over a small pile of rubble on the ground and became in direct line of Nejire's energy wave that flung him in the opposite direction, landing back on stage face first. Fatima, who was already incredibly weakened from her confrontation with Himejima, faltered easily to Tamaki's chimera form, and to prevent her from being knocked out completely, Chelsea jumped in and used herself as human cushion for Fatima to land on. With his teammates struggling to get back to their feet, Omar had not seen the debris heading his way from Chelsea's body smashing into the concrete with Fatima on top of her.

The force of the wreckage was enough snap off Omar's eyepatch, **"****That's enough!"** He yelled furiously; the tone of his voice, the surge of emotion, struck fear in Tamaki and Nejire. No had ever witnessed or heard Omar express anger before. As he straightened his neck out, everyone was in full view of what he had been hiding underneath his facial coverings: his right eye appeared completely white and his scar, which was widespread and prominent, was convened closer to the eye then subdivided into eight large branches that traversed over the radius of his eyes. Nejire unintentionally gasped out loud while Tamaki was lost for words, "I will not allow this idiotic fight to continue any further! I'm ending this now!" Omar snarled, lifting up his arms then swiftly drawing back his hands. The wrath of his movements were felt as Tamaki and Nejire were suddenly tightly entangled in a web threaded by Omar's quirk, "No hero should ever be subjected to the vengeance of Blood Marionette," bringing his right hand up to his mouth he curled his lip upwards and sunk his canine tooth into his hand until he drew blood, the strings from his fingertips trickling into a blistering, dark red as the same color pooled into his whitened eye, "but if this is what is demanded of me, then so be it!" After his subliminal threat he brought his hands forward and slightly curled in his fingers.

"Because of our acquaintanceship as allies and classmates, I will warn you of the dangers of my quirk: right now, our blood is coalesced within my threads, and unlike normal they're far deadlier. The more you move the more blood you release, making the threads more difficult to break, and the further I close my fingers," for the sake of demonstration Omar tugged on the threads by twitching his fingers, the sharp, tightening sensation causing Tamaki and Nejire to cry out, "if I make a closed fist every part of your body tied to my quirk will be severed."

"And don't forget about us." Bassam chimed in, flipping one of his teeth with his thumb like a coin, "You know, you're lucky my teeth grow back."

"We didn't want Omar to use his quirk-" Chelsea followed up with Fatima's arm slung over her shoulders.

"-We know that it's dangerous." Fatima weakly mewled.

"As I've said, I am doing this on my own accord, anything that happens will fall on me. With that being said, please, do not take this as a bluff and act irrationally- do not kill yourselves for the sake of meaningless competition: your lives are more valuable than victory."

_What were they suppose to do? What was any hero suppose to do?_ Here there were, in front of thousands of people- their friends, their families, their idols all staring down at them wondering what they're going to next, but they were surrounded by their peers, people their own age who have shown and proved that they were skillfully superior compared to them. All options lead to death even though they trusted Omar, but the death they're most fearful of was of their reputation: two of The Big Three had become trapped and lead to their defeat because they had underestimated their opponent and the extent of their quirks. **The very pride of U.A. Japan had fallen at the feet of their very own.**

"It seems U.A. Japan's Big Three are in a bit of a bind here! Will they be able to escape or is this the end for our young heroes?!" Present Mic fretted into his microphone.

**They couldn't just give up, could they?** How would they be seen: would the people be sympathetic, or unhopeful for the future? They had to do something, right? But what? Tamaki and Nejire looked over at one another, seeing both fear and uncertainty in each other eye's. _What was Mirio thinking, watching from up there in the stands?_ Hurt? Disappointed? They wouldn't blame him. They had no options, and the ones they did were less than desired. Then again, was anything better than nothing? But their placements, Nejire and Tamaki were both tagged on their arms and legs which were vital parts to both their quirks. Maybe, just maybe, though . . .

With what little movement he had, Tamaki turned his fingers into octopus tentacles and carefully wrapped them around one of the threads, the only problem was the tentacle didn't remain attached for long; when his appendage made direct contact with the reddened thread, it seared off in pieces. "Hado," Omar began, "do you remember the first day we met, you asked me why I wore a mask and I told you it was from a quirk accident? I was referring to my own. My blood isn't normal because of my quirk, and when activated, it becomes scalding, like a hot knife to butter. The more blood you give, the stronger the bond, and the only relief is by my own hands."

**Any possible theories had vanished. Desperation was the only choice left.** With a shaken sigh, Nejire forced what little energy she had into charging up energy waves from all fours. "No please- I beg you!" Omar shouted just as she released her quirk and jutted in place. For a brief moment, there was a shriek of agony, and then silence. Everyone's heart sank at the sight of her unmoving body that hung lifeless on strings, eerily similar to a marionette. Cautiously, Chelsea placed two fingers on the side of Nejire's neck, ". . . She's still alive. She must've just passed out from the pain."

Tamaki was all who was left. Of all people, he wondered to himself, _why did it have to be him?_ He was intimidated by them the moment he first saw them being introduced in front of everybody. He'd already overheard of their achievements and what they had done to get here from his classmates, all that he would've never put himself through. They were model heroes and students who everyone fawned over and wanted to befriend, something he was far from achieving. Jealous? No, but inspired? As much as he didn't want to admit it, part of him had gravitated towards their energy, as well. What he wouldn't give to be just confident enough to speak to them; he'd hoped that when this was all over, they wouldn't think less of him.

"Oy, you good there, snack bar?" Bassam asked, waving his stub arm in front of his face.

Trembling in place, he deeply inhaled then held his breath as transformed in an onslaught of animalia. "Amajiki!" Omar loudly distressed, tightly closing his right eye to deactivate the vicious effect of his quirk; a tear of red hues ran down his cheek, cleansing and restoring the original coloration of his eye. The blood that soaked into the threads had now dripped onto the stage while the threads themselves listlessly unraveled. As Tamaki's unconscious body began to slump down, Omar sprinted over and caught him in his arms, holding him close to his own body; Chelsea followed through similarly to catch Nejire's body, then daintily fixed her hair and removed any excess threading.

After a moment of behind the scenes speculation, an announcement was finally made, "It appears the remaining members on U.A. Japan's team have been rendered incapacitated and are declaring the International team the winners!" Publicized Present Mic, the stadium bursting in vociferous, congratulatory applause.

Before medical aide arrived, Chelsea and Omar stood center stage with Tamaki and Nejire in their arms; behind them, Fatima was helping Meioh untangle herself from Bassam's net while Bassam was helping Himejima back to his feet from another end, "Oh? What's this? It seems the International students have decided to stand in solidarity with Japan's students in the winner's circle- an unprecedented act of fellowship amongst young heroes makes our future look brighter!" Together, despite their current conditions, stood above those who viewed them as inequitable rather than equal.

"I'm sorry . . . " Tamaki mumbled softly as he and the rest of his teammates were being carried to the automated stretchers. "You have nothing to apologize for," Omar addressed, "you got to where you are because you've proved that you're capable of maintaining justice and protecting the innocent, but just because we have quirks and granted the title Hero doesn't mean we aren't still human; we make mistakes, we fall into depressions, we don't always get things our way or what we want, and we lose." Carefully setting Tamaki's body on the stretcher, his worn disposition faded for a brief moment; the look in his eye, the smile on his face, was sentimental and dreamy.

"You have an amazing quirk, you're already well on your way to becoming a Pro Hero that people will look up to and be inspired by. So please, be kind to your mind."


	15. Scoria

"Listeners, despite last match's results, we can't lose hope now; Class 1-B needs you now more than ever! Let your support be heard!" Present Mic proclaimed as he emphasized his words with his hands, knees sitting on the tabletop as Aizawa pinched a portion of his clothing in an ineffectual attempt to keep him from falling.

On one side of the arena, the international students of Class 1-B were making their way towards center stage in a ostentatiously manner.

". . . U-Um, you guys," Ximena spoke softly, holding her hat in front of her chest and gripping the brim nervously, "I don't think this plan is such a good idea . . ."

"What are ya' on about?" Mickey asked.

"If it doesn't work out and we end up losing because of it, it'll be all my fault. . ."

"Aw, she'll be right, cobber, you're just overthinkin' things again!"

"Mick's right, and besides, you're definitely the smartest one out of the four of us- you always score the highest points during test scenarios!" Estelle reaffirmed.

"And even if we don't win, that doesn't mean we didn't try our best," Javier divulged further, "we're here because we proved we're already great heroes."

Concurrently, on the opposite side:

"I don't think this is the appropriate time to be acting presumptuous considering what awaits you once Kaibara gets his hands on you for what you did." Shishida articulated.

"I appreciate your concern, but you have nothing to worry about, because when we win, it'll all be thanks to me," Monoma boasted, "and Kaibara will forget ever mentioning wringing my neck."

"Is that why you were so eager to get ahead of everyone else?" Murmured Tetsutetsu.

"You have yet to explain exactly what your plan is," Kendo interjected, "Don't forget it's the four us against the four of them, if we screw around we'll end up losing miserably, again."

"Ah yes, of course. You see, all we'll have to do is distract the three of them while luring the one with the strongest quirk close enough so that I can copy it with mine- it's become quite apparent that none of them possess the ability to escape such a strong build, and once I use their quirk, we'll be declared the winners in minutes!" Arrogantly proposed Monoma.

"And just how do you suggest we trick Javier?" Asked Kendo.

"Huh? Wait, you can't be serious, right? Mickey's practically untouchable!" Claimed Tetsutetsu.

"As I recall, Ximena has explicitly said that her venomous bites have the potential to kill in less than five minutes, not to mention, anyone would suffocate if swallowed whole." Shishida quietly contented.

"I . . . I was talking about Estelle." Monoma fretted.

The confusion sparked an argument that continued even when they had reached the stage, the uncertainty rattling them individually and making a clear decision improbable.

"What do you think they're talking about over there?" Estelle pondered out loud.

Reaching into one of their odd hammerspace pockets, Mickey pulled out a fanciful ear trumpet and pressed their ear at the end of the funnel-shaped device, "Hmm . . ."

"Can you actually hear with that thing?" Javier wearily questioned.

". . . Well, whatever it is, it just sounds like a bunch'a earbash to me." They sighed as they tossed the ear trumpet over their shoulder, an audible glass shattering and cat screech sound effect following afterwards.

"That's not very informative." Ximena uttered.

"It's not over yet, let's get this show back on the road!" Present Mic called out.

With a leap in their step, they diverged away from each other, "We'll just have to go with what we got, you know what to do!" Shouted Kendo, keeping her feet moving while scanning the initial area.

"Hey Ximena, how about a piece of this?" Tetsutetsu playfully teased, pettily distracting her with comical, seductive gestures.

"My instincts say danger, but everything else says otherwise." Ximena mumbled quietly to herself, lurching her serpent body back defensively as the tip of her tail rattled. As Tetsutetsu lunged towards her while activating his quirk, he was suddenly pushed away by a jagged, diamond gauntlet before she could strike, "Estelle!"

"Aw, what's the matter? I thought you said you wanted to fight me?" She sneered, throwing him away with vigorous force, "Got cold feet?"

His steel skin only scratched the surface of his body as he slid across the concrete, grunting while rolling over on his side and jumping back on his feet; he hadn't anticipated the valor use of her quirk. "Cold feet?! Ha! I'll make you regret picking a fight with me!"

Charging towards Estelle in a terrestrial locomotion, Shishida transformed then followed up with a heavy roar only to be subdued by Ximena's elongated, massive tail; with a lack of upper body strength Ximena made up for it with the rest of her body. Monoma, who was left alone, fell victim to Mickey's relentless teasing. They appeared popping in and out of his pockets, shirt collar, and sleeves, pinching and prodding at his skin with practical joke devices to discombobulate him, intentionally having him stagger around and keep his focus on them. In a suspicious moment of solace, Monoma promptly looked around with labored breathing, "Just let me get my hands on you-"

In the split second he turned his head straight, Mickey jumped out and spooked him while wearing a cheap pair of plastic vampire fangs, causing him falter back and drop into a hole that wasn't there before. With a prolonged shout, a crashing sound came from inside the hole, **"****W-What did you do with me?! Where am I?!"** Monoma distressingly begged.

"Ah, quit whingin', will ya'?!" Mickey groaned, peeling the portable hole off the ground and crumpling it into a ball between their gloved hands. Before they could move out of the way, however, an increasing shadow fell over them as Kendo's giant fist came hurling towards them. Their eyes popped out of their head imminently than began rapidly running in place, but they were unable to move out of the way in time and as soon as she raised her fist, Mickey had flattened down into a paper-thin state; peeling themselves from the ground, they dawdled away by rocking their feet side to to side.

"I'm . . . not even going to question what I just saw." Present Mic mumbled into his microphone.

"Dammit Mickey . . . " Kendo growled quietly between gritted teeth, swiping up the contorted phenomenon and clutching it carefully in her hand. Suddenly, she felt something rapidly approaching her blind spot and evaded the initial attack, then the second, but the third one was unavoidable and she was struck on the cheek.

"You'll have to be quicker than that, Kendo~" Javier chuckled, twirling his spear above and to the side as he rolled the weaponry over his thumb and off of his fingertips.

_'Javier's agility and coordination with his equipment is immaculate; he already knew I'd be the only opponent to give him a real fight. This has to be the time I finally get the upper hand.'_ She thought as she continued to dodge his moves while seeking to get some hits on him. Their flexibility and intuition were nearly equivalent, both were a lot stronger than they perceived and ultimately locked themselves impasse. Strike left, swing right, smack high, sweep low, they continued to trade hits until Javier fabricated an attack that resulted in brushing Kendo off her feet and pinning her to the ground using the majority of his weight.

"C'mon, at least try to hit me back!" Tetsutetsu provoked Estelle as he pummeled away at her diamond defenses, deviating back with each blow and pushing him back when he had gotten too close to her.

"You should be careful what you wish for, you might end up regretting it." She remarked, pivoting her foot against the ground in front of him creating scads of spikes to separate herself from him in an instant. Tetsutetsu could only scrape the surface of her crystal material but breaking it apart was impossible regardless of how aggressive his steel offenses were, and with her ability to skate along her smooth, generated diamonds increased her speed well above his, keeping him running in circles around the stage.

With a hefty swing, Shishida had his arm clamped down between Ximena's jaws, her fangs forcefully folded against her palette as venom leaked from the venom ducts in her upper jaw; the pain was tolerable, but her anxiety left her perturbed. She would never forgive herself for bringing serious harm to him, especially under these circumstances. As they struggled out of each other's bind, Ximena held his mouth away from her to prevent him from biting as he continued to pull his arm out of her grasp; with the weight of her thick body, she subdued his knees and brought him to the ground, attempting to get the upper hand.

"Tetsutetsu," Estelle breathlessly appealed, inflicting counters against him that became vigorously assertive, "I really admire your energy; despite our respective differences, we connect really well." As her combative forcefulness pushed further, his footing became unsteady- each word she spoke made his chest feel heavier, "But there's one thing that'll never change no matter how hard you try," Estelle revved her arm back, using her whole body to follow through the motion, "and that is-" the crystal clear gemstone built quickly and abundantly over her fist and forearm, glistening elegantly in the sun's rays.

**"****Diamonds are unbreakable!"**

All it took was a single blow. The sheer impact to his abdomen shattered his steel form, breaking off into numerous pieces that flew back along with him; hauling him into the line of trajectory, Tetsutetsu made contact with Shishida and threw both of them back, cracking the concrete underneath them.

"You didn't have to do that, I would've been fine." Tetsutetsu coughed, clutching his abdomen.

"I-I didn't. I didn't even see you coming."

"Huh? . . . !"

"I believe I've underestimated the strength of Ximena's venom."

"_Ahem!_ Do I need to throw a **hissy** fit for you to notice me?!" Mickey seethed, still flattened as they bounced up and down on the ground, papping at Ximena's tail with their fingers.

"Sorry, sorry!" She anxiously apologized, picking up her teammate as she placed the balloon-shaped opening manually protruding from their body into her mouth, blowing in air until Mickey was back to normal.

"Mickey, go long!" Javier shouted while keeping Kendo from apprehending him. The object in question that he whipped with his sling was the portable hole that they had trapped Monoma in.

"I got it, I got it!" They loudly responded, running in the opposite direction with a giant baseball mitt on their hand raised up in the air. Once caught, they offhandedly plopped the hole on the ground and dug inside with their other hand, "'Ay dipsticks, ya' ever hear the joke about the baseball?" Mickey jeered, revealing a dripping Monoma as they reared back with one leg raised slightly above the other, spinning their arm inanely before expeditiously pitching him towards his team.

"It'll leave ya' in stitches!"

In an overwhelmingly quantity of shouts, their opponents on the opposite side of the stage had been deliberately piled on top of one another, groaning from their difficult endeavor.

"Wh- are you wet, Momoma?" Kendo stammered.

"I saw hell. I've been to literal, actual, hell." He deadpanned.

"Looks like they're really going fight is on this one, huh?" Estelle queried.

"What's wrong with that? The best fights are the ones that are sweaty." Javier chimed in, bouncing on the pads of his feet to keep himself moving.

"Anybody got any more bright ideas-?" Grumbled Tetsutetsu.

"I'm assuming giving up isn't an option?" Inquired undoubtedly by Shishida, scratching and picking at his arm where Ximena had clamped down.

"Well Monoma . . . ?" Asked Kendo.

"My friends, there's no need to fret," he lightly chuckled, his hand hovering horizontally over his eyes and obscuring a quarter of his face, "things may have not gone the way the should've, however, all hope is not lost. At least Tetsutetsu will get the satisfaction of having his conjecture tested." As he revealed his eyes, the same shape of their eyes had been applied to his own, retaining his eye color rather than the classic black. His body became rounder and loopier, conforming to the style Mickey's body had taken due to their quirk.

"Man, this is not as satisfying as I thought it'd be." Tetsutetsu concurred.

"What are you talking about? Are you saying I'm not zany and wacky enough to be an iconic cartoon character?!" Monoma cried, attempting to do something spontaneous and hilarious.

"Those are the last two words I'd use to describe you, at least in that context." Softly opinionated Shishida.

"We're still in this, and we have to do whatever it takes to win." Finalized Kendo, "Let's beat them at their own game."

Suddenly, the international students of their class were besieged by a cluster of caricature weaponry of various shapes, sizes, and types, haphazardly arranged by an assemblage of arms burgeoning from Monoma's body with all ends pointed directly at them.

"F**k me dead." Mickey groused under their breath.

". . . How did you make that noise with your mouth?" Whispered Javier in response.

"What an artillery! You're keeping us at the edge of seats here!" Hollered Present Mic.

"M-Mickey, what do we do now?" Ximena whimpered as she hid alongside her teammates behind Mickey.

At the hub of the competition, they had miraculously pulled out a large tin can and popped open the top by squeezing the cylindrical container, launching a glob of spinach in the air and catching the contents in their mouth. Making a continuous, back and forth wave with their arms to carry their muscle mass, they flexed their arms in an abduction motion as large, meaty muscles burst from underneath their sleeves.

**"**_**Whoa.**_**"**

"You're gonna hang onto to me like your life depends on it while I keep us from losin' is what you're gonna do." Mickey grunted, draping Ximena over their neck then taking Estelle and Javier into each hulking arm.

"It's useless! You'll never get out of this; it's over for you, we've already won!" Monoma maniacally jested.

Guns. Knives. Bombs. Hammers. Flamethrowers. There's was nothing Momoma couldn't think of that he wouldn't throw their way, anything to stop them from reaching the opposite side.

Mickey sprang, stretched, pulled, and warped their body in all directions, gymnastically performed over projectiles, bent and tied firearm barrels, lobbed explosives, fractured ammunition, wrecked improvised and melee weapons- they had what it took to lampoon with the best of them and there was no backing down regardless of where the stakes lie; both sides had their fair share of bodily hits.

"Now what?" Estelle demanded, using her quirk to block any scattered fragments.

"No worries, mate, it's a piece of piss!" They replied, cartwheeling then sprinting across a dummy missile.

"What are you even saying?!" Cried Javier.

"Alright, look, look, look, look- the knob's clever, I'll give him that much, but he's got the humor of a nun's nasty." Mickey casually responded while bumping a large bomb similarly to a volleyball.

"Which means . . . ?!" Ximena frantically urged, tightening her body around her teammates out of fear.

"Which meeeeaannns copyin' my quirk was as useful as tits on a bull- he's a stubby short of a six pack! Ximena's plans still on!"

After the dust had cleared and the commotion discontinued, both teams were divided by fragments of a one-sided warfare while covered in soot, sweat, and lacerations. Their utter disbelief went beyond center stage.

"You've got to be kidding me." Monoma murmured under his breath.

"Unbelievable! All eight students remain on stage after such a hostile attack! Looks like we're in for double feature, folks!" Declared Present Mic.

"Really thought ya' had that one, didn't ya'?" Mickey chided, deflating their arms back into their original state, "Unlike you, I got a hammy sense of humor; I can entertain the lot of ya' for days."

As Monoma'a face turned bright red while smoke blew out from his ears, "See? What did I tell you?!" Blurted out Tetsutetsu.

"It doesn't make a difference now," Kendo retorted, wiping the ash from around her mouth, "The sooner we inside Mickey's head and figure out how they think, the easier this'll be."

"I guess now's as good a time as any?" Asked Estelle.

Once Ximena nodded, the four of them dashed through the obstacles of debris surprising their opponents who wound up following through with the same tactic. Shishida and Tetsutetsu, however, had the most difficulty fighting their one on ones as they were still disgruntled from their previous engagements.

It didn't take Ximena long to take down Shishida and constrict around his body, bringing him down to the ground once more and watching him struggle to push and scratch his way out of her grasp. _'Even just from pricking him my venom has taken a toll on him.' _Cautiously, she tightened her body around him, subjecting herself to hear his growls of pain and frustration, _'I'm sorry, Shishida, you'll live through this. You'll be okay.'_

He was determined, Tetsutetsu wasn't going to stop distributing hits to Estelle even though she was quicker and using her quirk to protect her from his attacks. "What happened to all that fight you had in you earlier, huh?" He taunted.

"If I hit you like that again I'll end up breaking your bones or worse!"

"So what?! This is a competition, you're suppose to hurt me! Just take a swing already! What are you afraid of?!"

"-_Knock it off, goddammit!_"

**Oh.** He couldn't tell whether those dainty sparkles were from her shattering the diamond shield from her cheek or her tears, but his stomach dropped. The heavy fluttering in chest took his breath away for a moment, it was the first time he had seen her worked up to the point of tears. It was then he realized, just as his body froze and Estelle lowered herself to lock her arms around his waist, whether she was smiling or crying, he found her pretty.

"Don't be this kind of idiot." She whispered, encasing the lower half of his body in pure diamond.

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, "That was a pretty good hit, looks like you're getting better at this." Javier professed, successfully evading Kendo's strike by horizontally dodge rolling.

"Guess it's because you're not too bad of an instructor." Lurching outwards to body block him from retreating in the opposite direction, her smirk disappeared as soon as he knocked her off her feet and used his legs to throw her back.

"Wouldn't be the first time someone's underestimated the goofy fat kid." He quipped before getting back on his feet and reciprocated his opponent's offenses.

"So ya' think ya' have what it takes to be a cartoon, do ya'?" Mickey sneered, lightly bending a humorously-sized broadsword over their head, "Ha! That's like tryin' get a laugh in a graveyard."

"Well I figured, if you could do it then any troglodyte could learn how!" Monoma answered with a contempt expression, matching their equipment and tousling the sword around as he spoke.

"Grr- rack off, already!" And they were off. When one's sword broke, they pulled out a knife, then a baseball bat, chainsaw, pitchfork, mallet, boxing gloves, club- anything they could draw out of their hammerspaces they punished each other with, and, unfortunately, anyone else who may be in their way. While focusing on one-upping one another, their stiff concentration would soon be their inevitable dissolution.

Kendo had Javier toe-to-tip as they exchanged blows in hand to hand combat; they kept themselves tightly-knit to avoid involving anyone else in their confrontation as much as possible. It was then that Kendo had presumed she'd broken their stalemate as she tripped him up faster than he could return, and if she could disqualify him by knocking him off stage, the odds would be more favorable for their team. What about the others? Would they retaliate harder then they already have? Javier was an indispensable part of their team whether he knew that or not, but the idea was imperfectly tantalizing. All it would take is one, solid punch with her quirk.

"Javier!" There was no going back; if she didn't take the chance now, what could it say about her decisions in the future? His defenses hadn't diminished, but there was an opening somewhere and she was going to take full advantage of her execution . . . _There it is!_ After a brief juncture of calculated steps and hard deflects, her large fist made contact with his torso and sent him incessantly. Then it hit her, just as he flew in their line of attack-

"Hey Monoma," Mickey grimaced, revealing an oversized axe that held significant weight over their own, "Ya' mind if I _axe_ you a question?!"

It wouldn't slow down, they couldn't make it stop- the moment they brought down their weapon was the beginning of a harrowing memory. It was as though time had slowed down the way their entire team's breath hitched and eyes widened in horror simultaneously, those few seconds feeling like an eternity. The most dreadful factor of it all? No one was capable of stopping it. _It was too late._

**Slash!**

His arms from below the elbows- severed, falling lumberly on the stage as Ximena and Estelle caught the rest of his body; using her quirk to prevent any acute knock back, Ximena used her poncho to help safely catch him.

There was silence, everybody was frozen in place . . .

"Ahuevo! We did it!" Javier cheered, his stub arms raised in the air.

"J-Javi' . . . ?" Kendo's whispered softly, trembling with her knees on the uneven concrete.

"What the hell?" Tetsutetsu spoke under his breath as the diamond enclosure crumbled against his legs.

"Hm? I don't understand," he lilted, jumping back onto his feet and standing up right, "you've seen me without my fingers and toes before to use my quirk."

"But your arms . . ." Agonized Monoma, who was no longer was in possession of Mickey's quirk.

"Well it wouldn't make much sense if lava only came out of some parts of my body, now would it?" As Javier spoke, organic crust began forging from his open gashes and reconfiguring into igneous arms and hands as lava trickled from the layers in between, "I don't normally hack off my body parts unless it's an emergency since the regrowing part is slow and gross-looking, and painful, but since I need to cover a large surface and keep it flowing-" with his hands placed below his knee, he blasted lava from his hands at high velocity until his legs went through the same course of operation. "Besides, Omar shouldn't be the only one to have to use his quirk all the way!"

It was like staring at an effusive rupture, or so they inferred, with the intense heat of molten rock oozing from the crevasses of his limbs forming viscous layers at his feet, watching the pieces of excess skin of their friend begin to shrivel and melt as vog plumed against his sweltering body. _If this was only a fraction of what Javier could do, what he could become, what else was his quirk capable of?_

"Wow, my lava is usually never this hot! I guess I have Kendo to thank for that!" Mused Javier.

"Looks like things are really starting to heat up! How will the U.A. students of Japan get out of this one?!" With his body practically pressed up against the glass, Present Mic questioned out towards the audience.

"Nobody would happen to have a solution for stopping volcanic activity, would they?" Shishida weakly trembled, leaning against his teammates to keep himself upright.

The way Javier moved eloquently through the lava was terrifying yet perplexing, almost as if he was born to giftedly handle his dangerous quirk. With every step and movement more lava poured out of his body, slowly blanketing the stage and creeping to the other side. With a swift upward kick a wide cascade of lava bedecked the sky and splattered adjacent to their opponents, moving as fast as they could to prevent the scorching splash back; the measured flow of his arms scattered abundant batches of molten rock in every direction causing the advancement progress to speed up as isolated secretions had started to drip off stage.

"Give'em a gobful, Javi'! Pompeii those dropkicks!" Shouted Mickey who, like the rest of their team, we're sitting upon a ridge dome of diamond.

"Fèmen dyol ou, kalmason! Don't act up!" Estelle scolded, lightly smacking Mickey upside the head.

_What options did they have left_, Kendo thought. Shishida and Tetsutetsu were not in fighting condition but could still move if they needed to, Monoma couldn't copy a quirk without touching the person- even if they'd accomplish getting him over there, Mickey, Ximena, or Estelle could easily counter any of them before they had a chance to retaliate, and what could she do that no one else was competent enough to do? There were only a few choices remaining, and none of them were ideal.

The increasing heat was becoming irritatingly strenuous as sweat drenched their bodies and made breathing onerous, moving together firmly as a group to avoid the hazardous silicate that was shrinking the stage; the edges were already coated, the surface was being laminated at an accelerated pace and they were being pushed into an unforgiving corner. As Javier raised his hands up over his mouth to form a teardrop-shape with the tips of his thumbs, index and middle fingers touching, he deeply inhaled to launch a forcible gush of lava from his mouth and hands that copiously surged the opposite side of the stage. The large, opaque spread was too thick to see past making the determination of the match unknown, but when he finally ceased his attack, the answer was clear.

**They were gone.** Nothing but banks of lava and melting refuge, and no bodies. There was a split second of confusion before the faint sound of whimpers and cries could be heard off to the side where the source was discovered. In his large arms, Shishida exerted the last bit of energy he had to use his quirk to save Kendo, Monoma, and Tetsutetsu- their sheer fright interfering with their mixed emotions.

"All four students on U.A. Japan's team have left the stage on their accord, giving the International team an indisputable win!" Present Mic officiated.

With a smile that gradually stretched from ear to ear, Javier softly gasped as tears began to swell in his eyes until Mickey fished their hand out and grabbed him by the yacolla, bringing him over to the rest of their group. The four of them basked in the roar of victory while gloriously displayed on top of their glimmering podium, showing their appreciation for the audience's emphatic congratulations: Estelle virtuously waved out to the crowd as Ximena emphasized her praise by waving her sombrero in the air, Javier waved meekly to prevent anymore lava from spilling out, and Mickey yanked out a flag of Chile from the collar of their hero costume and flew it over Javier, knowing that him holding the fabric would potentially burn the material.

"Dammit Monoma, this wouldn't have happened if you let Kaibara take fourth place, you selfish prick!" Tetsutetsu snapped.

"You know, last time I checked, this fight was a four verses four." He replied without an ounce of irony in his voice.

Kendo, Shishida, and Tetsutetsu couldn't believe- completely appalled that this was where he stood and what he chose to say after everything that had happened- "Get him!"

"Whew, that certainly was a match, wasn't it ladies and gentlemen?! Thank goodness I'm not on the cleaning crew 'cause that looks like a hot mess down there, but don't tune out just yet, because the final match of the U.A. Battle Royale will commence momentarily!"


	16. Grief

"I can't believe it-" Midoriya said softly under his breath, grouped together with Iida, Todoroki, and Bakugo as they studied both matches carefully.

"Everyone on Japan's team had fought heroically, it's unfortunate that they lost the way they had." Iida commented right after.

"If things go the way they have been, it won't be easy for us either." Affirmed Todoroki.

"Why not just give'em the win if you're going to talk like that!" Fumed Bakugo.

"That's not what he's implying," insisted Midoriya, "we just need to think carefully about how we're going to approach this."

"Think about what? There's nothing to think about, we're going to out there and burying them under the stadium, dead or alive!"

"Bakugo, that's not what this tournament is about!" Chided Iida.

"You're right, that's not what it's about, it's about making us looking like losers! Think about it: why would they bring out everyone we know and look up to? Why the hell were these challenges so asinine? Why is it those bastards had the upper hand every single time and came out on top? I'll tell you why, to embarrass us- to show that we're still weak! Well, I'll be dammed if I let these freaks make a fool out of me, no more trying to hold back! They're dead!" With a final huff, Bakugo stormed off.

There was somber silence between the three boys, then Midoriya finally spoke, "I think I should go find him."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Todoroki inquired.

"We haven't seen either Shelby, Keali'i, Yemi, or Arjan in awhile, I'm worried what he'll do if he finds them before our match starts."

"You have a point, but if you're leaving, please return in a timely manner, and be careful." Iida advised.

With an affirming nod, Midoriya began walking through the empty winding hallways, looking around each corner and over troublesome barricades but after minutes of searching vacant corridors he couldn't find him- or anyone, anywhere. He was sure he'd at least hear Bakugo, but all he could hear was the commotion that was happening outside. A sinking feeling started fermenting in the pit of his stomach, the silence was discouraging as he continued on without any clues.

He knew where Bakugo was coming from, the international students of their class were aloof and taciturnly haughty towards them and only them, but why? There had to be some kind of reason; Midoriya stood true to himself, he never thought or expressed negatively of them, but he'd gone through every scenario in his head and couldn't assimilate what possible reason there could be. He tried reaching out multiple times, just like everyone else, and although they didn't respond it didn't appear out of explicit antipathy but rather an inability, especially towards the upcoming weeks of the U.A. Battle Royale. He was going to get to the bottom of this, one way or another.

After inattentively turning the next corner sharply he wound up bumping into another body, but their taller, sturdy frame was unmoved.

"Oh excuse me, I'm sorry, I didn't- Shelby?" Midoriya blurted out in a fluster, then sighed in relief, "I'm so glad it's you, n-not that I expecting to run into anyone else, it's just that I uh-"

Shelby didn't respond verbally, but she was looking at him, or at least, in his direction, with her head cocked to one side in unsubtle confusion.

"You know what, I think I've embarrassed myself one too many times already today, but before I go, I will say you four are strongest when you're together, there's no doubt about that, but we're going to give everything we got out there so don't go easy on us now, we want a real fight. Good luck."

Just as Midoriya turned to reroute himself back to his friends, he could hear a voice sing out his name, resonating from their chest and produced in a mezzo soprano dynamic; their dulce tone soften the blow as Midoriya felt as though he'd been struck in the neck, falling face first on the floor upon impact. Only, it wasn't the same floor. The moment he made contact the ground plumes of feathers flew up and over his body, feeling the silky texture against his palms while tightly clutching together fistfuls. The atmosphere was burdensome with melancholy and remorse as Midoriya felt the same depression overwhelming him; his surroundings were opaque with somber blue hues and blackened, unfathomable edges, unable to recognize where he was immediately. Suddenly, the sound of delicate chirping piqued his interest, prompting him to pick his head up to see two small birds in front of him, looking at him curiously as the fluffed up their feathers.

"Wait, are these . . . ? Shel-!" Before he could call out her name she was already there, sitting with her back to him concurrently tying her hair up in the front and letting the length lay against her back.

"-by?" He attempted to recollect himself as best as he could in this situation, but the apprehension of this state exhausted his body making sitting up right difficult, "Is this- . . . your quirk . . . ?"

Once more, Shelby didn't respond despite going to the trouble of using her quirk and evidently getting them alone together; was this merely part of a ploy to catch their team off guard before their match or was there something else to this needless charade?

As he was about to ask more questions, the answers became clear:

**"This wasn't how it was suppose to go,  
I think it's time for you to know**  
**the truth is odd about our facade but listen well because there's a lot for me to tell**  
**you see we thought we had it all planned out even when we had our own doubts**  
**that everything would be okay if we kept ourselves out of the way**  
**but then the plan shattered and nothing else mattered because we were the ones who were bad**  
**everyone had been welcoming and kind and we completely over-stepped the line**  
**we needed to fix this but had the window been missed we had no idea what to do**  
**the angst and guilt has been eating us away though this is just karma's way of making us pay**  
**how could we be heroes after reducing ourselves to zeroes**  
**we only let ourselves fall when this isn't even who we are at all!"**

Midoriya was completely dumbfounded by the turn of events. A confession? In song? This was a first, and insinuating, in character for Shelby. As she divulged further, however, the air around them became tighter and the blackness had begun slowly enclosing around them, and though he could not differentiate who was producing the effect, he could hear quiet, pernicious whispers that were spiteful in nature; they were difficult to infer but sounded discriminatory identity-wise and characteristically. Despite this strange occurrence, her words embedded themselves deep within his core and knew that she was telling the truth; whether this was due to her quirk or the genuine timbre of her voice didn't matter to him.

When she finally mustered up the courage to face him, there wasn't any malice in her eyes. Her long eyelashes padded down her tears as they rolled continuously down her cheeks, wiping them away with her hands when they began dripping off her face; even through tears her singing remained impeccable.

**"It's difficult for me to explain of how our little group was obtained**  
**we grew up without friends but harsh words and bruises **  
**kept us company until we met each other, unexpectedly finding one another**  
**we have our own stories to tell but you'd be better off telling us to go to hell**  
**trauma's the reason but never an excuse we wound up as weapons of abuse**  
**even after all those years we treated you badly out of our own fears**  
**we don't expect forgiveness and sympathies that'd be insult to injury**  
**but we're going to make this up to you when this ends, **  
**that'll be the start of our amends**  
**we're not asking for friendship or trust everything we've done was unjust**  
**we have no excuses we know what we did was wrong yet here I am singing this damn song**  
**we brought this on ourselves there's no going back now this shouldn't have been-!"**

That was enough. No more. Midoroya couldn't handle these feelings anymore- they were just too painful for him; he couldn't stop himself from crying as he'd been crying the entire time, her tears had become his tears. At least now he knew how she felt, how they all felt. As he tightly hugged her he could swear the atmosphere suddenly changed the moment he touched her, that all the darkness had vanished instantly and replaced with a flash of heartfelt, soft red hues.

All this time Shelby, Yemi, Keali'i, and Arjan were afraid of being ostracized by their peers because of who they were, who they really were. When they realized that their classmates were more than willing to put forth the effort into welcoming them with open arms, their original plan built on anxiety made them see that they had made an immature decision to disguise themselves and act untargetable, but there was another problem, they didn't know how to properly fix things- they assumed they were too late on changing so they allowed their feelings to fester until they couldn't put up with the guilt anymore.

The other international students would've had to of known of their secret or else their friendship would be implausible; Mickey and Keali'i both go to U.A. Oceania and Fatima and Arjan to U.A. Western Europe, how would they not?

"Please, stop! I-I understand what it likes, to have someone be cruel to you and hurt you, to feel like you'll never be good enough and no one believes in you, but I don't care if everyone else ends up hating you after today because no one can look past what you've done! I'll always be on your side no matter what because you're my friends and I care about you!"

Shelby didn't know what to say, she wasn't expecting anything like that to come from Midoriya, but she was happy. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around him in reciprocation, and when he picked his head up from her shoulder, the harrowing aura from before dissipated into mellow orange hues, lifting the mortification and distress from his body and replacing those feelings with serenity and relief. They remained in close proximity once they separated;

"Thank you, Deku. We were hoping we could count on you."

"On me? Why?"

"It's silly but, you're probably the only one who hasn't said a bad thing about us."

"That's it?"

"I know it's not much, but after all the trouble we caused it means a lot. I'm sorry for using my quirk on you, we'll explain everything later if we need to."

In exchange for his compliance and gratitude, she pecked him lightly on the cheek as another form of apology, but his yammering and fidgeting from receiving a simple, platonic gesture left her confused and a little concerned.

"B-By the way Shelby uhhh-how do we get out of this?"

"Oh, um, about that-"

"Huh . . ?"

Midoriya was suddenly struck with a painful sensation in his chest that snapped him back into conjectural reality; Shelby had her hand over his mouth and was trying to shush him while they sat in a different, secluded location.

"Shelby, that hurt!" He muffled loudly behind her hand.

"I know, I know, shhh-" She strained through a hush voiced.

"You dug your nails into my nipple!"

"I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-!"

"Listeners, are you ready?! The final match of the first ever U.A. Battle Royale will begin in just a few minutes!"

Shelby gasped at the sound of Present Mic's voice, hastily darting out the previously-closed door and leaving Midoriya in split second confusion. He realized this was not the place he needed to be right now, he even agreed that he wouldn't take long- the whole point of venturing out in the first place was to find Bakugo. When he exited the dark storage room he knew exactly where he was; somehow, he had been moved adjacent to the corner where he found Shelby. Was being able to move someone else's body while they're entranced part of her quirk? There was no time to dwell on what just happened, he needed to get back to his team and fast.

"Midoriya!" Iida shouted as he caught a glimpse of him running towards them.

"Well look who decided to show up." Condemned Bakugo.

"W-Wait, but I was-"

"Hey, are you okay? Your face is red and puffy." Todoroki commented offhandedly.

"Huh?" Movement wasn't the only thing Shelby could influence, it seems, "Is my face red? I hadn't noticed!"

"Nevertheless, are we ready now? We need to be physically and mentally prepared to go out; I highly doubt they'll be breaking the pattern the others had set, we must expect them to use their quirks at full strength." Informed Iida.

"Yeah yeah, let's get out there already!" Bakugo, who wasn't in the mood to hear necessities, interjected quickly.

Iida, Todoroki, and Bakugo led the group towards their destination while Midoriya staggered behind them, lost in thought:

"This is bad. If I tell them what happened they won't believe me, and even if they did they'd think they were trying to divide our team, but if I don't tell them they might end up seriously hurting them- what if they're so humiliated they refuse to show themselves? If I do tell them, though, what difference would it make? Todoroki might see things my way and Iida too, but there's no way Bakugo would let them get away with what they've done. Also, Shelby didn't tell me if they planned anything for our match. Are they going to use the same force as always or are they going to be lenient because of the occasion- what degree is even considered lenient to them? Either way, I can't protect the four of them while holding back three other people, they'll notice something is off eventually, and if we end up losing because of me, everyone will have seen so for themselves-"

Midoriya began mumbling to himself quietly as he trailed deeper in-thought, piling on concepts that led to more questions. Iida and Todoroki were putting up his ramblings and trying their best to ignore them, but Bakugo couldn't listen any further.

"Shut up, you damn nerd! We're about to leave!"

"Ah! O-Oh right, uh s-sorry!"

**In pure, complete panic, "What am I supposed to do?!"**


	17. Performance

"Oooooh, it's been such a long daaaaaay," Present Mic groaned with his back on the floor and his legs raised straight up, leaning them against the table, "This is the one I've been dreading the most, we're going to end up with a real bloodbath on our hands."

"Would you get back up here, already? I came here to help not do your job for you." Aizawa grumbled.

"Alright, alright," he retorted while climbing back into his chair, "Families, students, Pro Heroes, this is it, the final match of this year's first ever U.A. Battle Royale! We've seen some impressive quirk use and footwork from out there from both sides, but I think we're in for a real treat with this one; the notorious 1-A might have their hands full trying to tame these wild cards."

The atmosphere was thick- the dullest blade could slice through the tension between these two teams as they stared down one another from opposite sides of the stage; Midoriya was the only without qualms on their side and despite their masquerade, he could tell the other team was anxious, as well. He didn't want them to get hurt, but he didn't want to lose, either. If he could somehow get to Shelby to use her quirk again, perhaps she could straighten things out before the match intensified, but what were the limitations of her quirk? She wouldn't have used her abilities up in their one on one moment, would she? No, he'd be foolish to mix kindness with stupidity. Whatever they had, they needed to prepare for the outcome.

"Don't quit now; believe in the announcer that believes in you!"

Unhesitantly, Bakugo, Todoroki, and Iida lunged right for them leaving Midoriya caught in their dust, but like previous fights, the results were identical: Iida could not bypass the barrier put up by Yemi without bouncing back, Todoroki's ice and fire felt inept to Keali'i's quirk that divided and diverged his elements, and Bakugo's speed was no match for Arjan's regardless of how aggressive he was. With Yemi on Shelby's shoulders in the back line, Keali'i and Arjan were keeping Todoroki and Bakugo on the ropes as Midoriya and Iida lingered back.

"Midoriya, what's wrong?" Iida loudly asked over the tumultuous upheaval.

"I-It's nothing- I-I mean it's not nothing, it's-" Before he could respond, Iida quickly darted towards Midoriya and shoved him out of the way of a lobbed ice form that landed in his previous spot.

"Dammit." Todoroki mumbled quietly under his breath as he slid across the stage from Keali'i's knock back. "How does he deflect my attacks so easily?" As he weighed on his train of thought, he continued to propel calculated mixtures of fire and ice directly at his opponent but each attack shattered and pushed away. He hardly broke a sweat obstructing his quirks.

On Bakugo's end, "Why won't you die already?!" He yelled while rapidly blasting explosives against Arjan who was blocking every shot with pieces of concrete and debris. Their movements could only be meagerly tracked as their celerity was ruthless, but their close proximity would lead to calamity which Arjan displayed as he managed to clobber Bakugo directly in the face with a jagged piece of cement. The hit caught him off-guard as did the pool of blood he spat from his mouth onto the ground, "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Normally, neither of them would react to an impact like that, but Arjan ducked his back into his shoulders with visible anguish as Keali'i scolded his name in a stressed whisper- yet Midoriya was the only one to notice. They were being optative with their approach as they didn't appear to desire causing excessive harm; their actions were certainly solidifying their joint confession but in itself made the victory more inconclusive. There was definitely something to this, and it needed to be done- now.

In a fit of disoriented rage, Bakugo sped back into the fray with full force, but something had been altered without their knowledge: the barrier set by Yemi had decreased in solidity making it possible to pass through sluggishly with resistance. This tactic was completely out of character, so much that Bakugo was stupefied and taken aback for a brief second, but the revelation sparked an opportunity that needed to be taken quickly as Midoriya, Iida, and Todoroki rushed forward. With this sudden adjustment, not much had change offensively as Keali'i and Arjan continued to protect themselves and the girls behind them with their coordinated defenses, but they were getting closer and their chances of faulting had increased meagerly.

It wasn't enough, their pace was too slow and they were only hurting themselves more by fronting their impending defenses. They weren't getting anywhere, this was more teasing than forbearing and not accomplishing anything, if not making things worse-

**"****If you're going to something, just do it already!"**

Through excoriated clashing rang neutrality through Midoriya's voice, loud enough to cause tentative actions on both sides. The two boys snapped their heads back towards their partners for their next course of action while the other four were in transitional confusion.

"Midoriya, what are you-!"

Before Todoroki could finish his question, the four of them were pushed back by the strong force of Yemi's barrier, knocking them to the ground as Arjan used his quirk to roll away the debris off stage. As Yemi rose her hand up in the air she promptly made a tight fist, the stadium lights shattering into pieces and falling downward, but with both his palms flat, Keali'i made a hefty pushing motion with his arms that changed the direction from down to up. Their distraction wasn't finished yet, Yemi then made a small, upward arching gesture with her palms that stifled the glass shards in a specific position between the stadium lights, and by making a wavy, circular motion above her, the glass began to spin around as they sparkled in the sunlight. Just when things couldn't get anymore confusing, upbeat, energetic techno music began coming through the stadium speakers without any implication, and directly on stage, Shelby, Keali'i, Yemi, and Arjan were standing in formation- the effect above them simulating a rotating disco ball.

"_What?"_ Went the other international students.

"_What?"_ Went Aizawa and Present Mic.

"_What?"_ Went Class 1-A.

"_What?"_ Went Midoriya, Todoroki, and Iida.

"What the _hell_ is this?!" Interjected Bakugo.

The Pro Heroes were mutually clamoring and awing in fascination.

**"****-Love is genderless,"** Arjan clearly spoke as he suggestively removed the metal ring from around his thigh.

_Metal ring?_ Wait- they all had metal rings around their thighs. Those weren't their before, did they put them on prior to their match, and what is their purpose and function?

**"****Love is abundant,"** Followed up Yemi as she took the metal ring off her thigh in the same suggestive manner as Arjan . . . Yemi, _spoke?_ She had a normal, human voice, _this whole time?_

**"****Eros, Philia, Storge, Agape, Philautia,"** Keali'i aptly pronounced, continuing the motion his friends presented previously.

**"****In a world of superhuman abilities, love is the strongest of them all!"** Shouted Shelby; once they had all removed the rings from their thighs, they simultaneously spun them around in their hands and fingers, lightly tossed them up in the air, and slammed them down as they each became shrouded in a bright light of a different color: blue, yellow, green, and pink.

**"****O' celestial Dike, bestower of law and order;"**

Their words were synchronous as were their actions: clicking together their heels, the shroud at their feet had transformed into boots of various lengths and heel heights, white based with color-corresponding accents and decorated with their own small ornaments- blue spades, yellow diamonds, green clubs, and pink hearts. With a three-sixty spin, stockings of the same pattern appeared on the girls' legs while pants of dissimilar lengths formed around the boys' legs, and with a shake of their hips, circle skirts of nonidentical lengths accentuated with petticoats plumed out from the girls' hips and refined belts on the boys';

**"****grace us as your valiant servants of justice and integrity to our corrupt world,"**

With their arms crossed over and hands settled at the base of their torsos, they pulled upwards, similar to removing a garment overhead, to reveal shape-oriented tops: diamond and heart-shaped corsets for the girls and blue and green vests with gold spade and club trimmings on top of white regency shirts for the boys, each covered with dress coats and coat dresses of varying lengths and styles;

**"****scourged by misguided immoralist;"**

Shaking their heads from side to side their real hair became apparent: short, light blond hair with blue tips; boisterous, black naturally afro-textured hair with yellow streaks; thick, brunette hair with a single green streak; and medium, light pink hair. With their arms still in the air, they crossed their wrists overhead then finessed them apart with a snap of their fingers, their hands now covered with gloves; they then brought their hands together side by side with their palms facing back towards them;

**"****we will prove ourselves victoriously; evildoers eat your hearts out!"**

Bringing their hands down briskly over their faces- small, distinctive crowns had materialized on each of their heads through said action, they turned their hands out and touched together their wrists while keeping their palms hovering below their jawlines, revealing their freshly made-up faces: delicately contoured face complimented with blue-hued eyeshadow, luxe eyeliner and mascara with a blue spade stamp at each outer eye corner accenting blue eyes, fair skin, and silver facial piercings; richly contoured face complimented with yellow-hued eyeshadow, smooth eyeliner and mascara with a yellow diamond stamp at each outer eye corner accenting gold eyes, dark skin, gold facial piercings and glasses; lushly contoured face complimented with green-hued eyeshadow, classic eyeliner and mascara with a green club stamp at each outer eye corner accenting green eyes and medium skin; softly contoured face complimented with pink-hued eyeshadow, bold eyeliner and mascara with a pink heart stamp at each outer eye corner accenting magenta eyes and neutral skin. Then pressing their fingers to their lips they blew out a kiss, revealing moderately tinted lips, with a head tilt and a wink.

**"****King of Spades!"** Proclaimed Arjan,

**"****Queen of Diamonds!"** Proclaimed Yemi,

**"****King of Clubs!"** Proclaimed Keali'i,

**"****Queen of Hearts!"** Proclaimed Shelby,

Arranging themselves closer together, they posed energetically in another organized formation with their hands fashioned into a gesture unique to their character, and once more, simultaneously;

**"****We are- Suit As Sugar!"**

When the lighting effect stopped and the music came to an end, everyone was completely awestruck. This was them? The real international students of Class 1-A? How were they able to keep those dreary, melancholy personas' for this long when they were radiant and amiable in appearance? Their costume coordination made them look like an idol group, individually having their own friendly flair that could win over anyone's heart, but if this was the energy they presented, why would they pretend to be other people? Was the effort worth the length of avoidance?

These answers, much like many others, would be answered in due time if they keep their promise. What they do next will determine how they'll be treated for the next five and a half months- and they knew that.

Shelby, twirling a cutesy, pink microphone in her hand and playfully posing with the screen close to her lips, "Now let's party up!"

"Here we go . . . " Aizawa sighed as he slid a large pair of headphones on his head, pressing down each speaker with his hands.

With a simple arm pose and hand gesture, Yemi actions not only made the stadium speakers play music again, but a different song entirely; the upbeat, electronic big-band jazz style tune had already piqued the crowd's interest.

**"****Lick your lips, take a bite **  
**know that you're in for a real fight, a taste you know you can't resist**  
**Are we sour, are we sweet?**  
**Just another team that you can beat?**  
**Guess you'll have to see what we're made of;"**

Apprehensively, the four boys moved forward during their first verse but were unable to get close to them as they were swung and slid both on the ground and in midair in all directions, and when that wasn't irritating enough, the concrete on stage was restless as well. Like before, they were untouchable but something was different this time, they weren't using traditional gestures to maneuver their quirks, in fact, all four of them were just dancing concertedly as though they performing a show rather than participating in a sport's festival.

**"****Oh there's no need to sugarcoat your appetite  
we'll give you exactly what you want**  
**Now come on up, join the sugar rush, oh yeah!;"**

They could hardly catch their footing, every second felt too late when they were crushed together or slammed onto the stage, the glass above then came hurling down towards them and shattering.

**"****It's time to rise up to the fight**  
**fight with all our might**  
**fight like our lives are on the line**  
**and if your hope begins to melt**  
**don't fear don't shed a tear 'cause**  
**winning's a piece cake!;"**

The words weren't necessarily clicking with them, although the lyrics were admittedly catchy; did they actually have something to do with what was going on or was this song a tactic to diverge the real reason? It was difficult to determine as their faces were being dragging across the cement and their bodies contorting against plausible air against their will; a few pieces from Iida's hero costume even began to scrap off.

**"****So let's all rise up don't be shy**  
**insatiable as apple pie**  
**give into your ambitious temptations**  
**you know we're the rising stars**  
**we're the ones who've gotten this far**  
**we're not gonna stop**  
**until we reach the top**  
**Oh, experience the sugar rush!;"**

They had been throwing out their quirks in hopes of disrupting their rhythm but their moves were as smooth as Shelby's singing voice, and whilst being thrown and bounced around, their aim was not up to par- barely able to get a word out without being smacked with concrete or each other's limbs.

**"****We're too sweet, we'll rot your teeth**  
**We're too sweet, we'll rot your teeth**  
**We're too sweet, we'll rot your teeth**  
**We're too sweet, we'll rot your teeth**  
**We're too sweet, we'll rot your teeth**  
**We're too sweet, we'll rot your teeth**  
**We're too sweet, we'll rot your teeth**  
**We're too sweet, too sweet!;"**

With each new line the remaining members of their team harmonized along with Shelby and sung the rest of the lines together except for the final one, showing that all four of them were capable of singing.

**"****Wipe your mouth, unwrap us**  
**there's no need to make a fuss**  
**we've always been the cherry on top**  
**Indulge in brownies, and milkshakes**  
**don't quit now from a bellyache**  
**We have so many more treats for you;"**

Their stomachs weren't the only parts of their bodies that were hurting, they were drafting and lugging them around with what seemed like little effort. How was this happening? They knew they were better than this- after everything they've been through prior this win should have been theirs, but now? The outcome was becoming bleaker with each step, rock, and swing.

**"****You bit off more than you could chew, didn't you?**  
**that's just how the cookie crumbles**  
**Now come on up, join the sugar rush, oh yeah!;"**

Tossing them on their fronts and their sides, bones had broken at this point, along with multiple lesions scattered across their skin. When was this song going to end? This had become a torturous; calculated gladiator battle in a full colosseum.

**"****Come on and rise up it's okay**  
**tower like a parfait**  
**rise up 'cause you'll find your in for a surprise**  
**and if you're feeling bitter and burnt**  
**don't fret, just don't forget that**  
**winning's easy as pie;"**

Rhythmic stepping, swinging, swaying, and sliding, there was no movement they could outmaneuver as their choreographed dancing had them trapped; they couldn't even communicate they were moving around too quickly.

**"****So go on treat yourself, chow down**  
**there's no need to frown**  
**this song of ours is homemade**  
**Don't forget we're the rising stars**  
**no one else could've made it this far**  
**C'mon work together as a team**  
**don't freeze up like ice cream**  
**Oh, let's do the sugar rush!;"**

How long have they planned this? When did they have time to practice, and where? More importantly, how did they know this would work so efficiently out of everything else?

**"****It's time to rise up to the fight**  
**fight with all our might**  
**fight like our lives are on the line**  
**and if your hope begins to melt**  
**don't fear don't shed a tear 'cause  
winning's a piece cake!**  
**Now listen all you boys and girls**  
**and heroes of the world**  
**Don't be afraid to get up and move**  
**You know we're all rising stars**  
**we're the ones who made it this far**  
**Put a smile on that face**  
**There's no time to waste, so**  
**Let's do the sugar rush!"**

Was this considered **Plus Ultra?** Everyone else put up a fight, unlike them, who fell right into their scheme without thinking twice. They must've been seen as hopeless, everyone watching had to be disappointed in their performance and given up on them all together, and the Pro Heroes? Why would they want anything to do with them after this? Who would want to work with failures? Though it was difficult to see from their current angle, everyone in the stands could be heard cheering and dancing along with the other team, completely enthralled by their concert. Although they were the same age, they had already locked down the formula of powerful and charismatic heroes. _Suit As Sugar was setting new standards for Japan._

On the last note, the music carried on for a few more beats before cutting out as the four of them stood in the same arrangement they had when they started, panting while smiling out towards the crowd. On the other side, the four boys were laying flat out on the stage, unmoving, hardly concessions, but alive. There was a moment of silence in astonishment, the audience then loudly gushing with enthusiasm and congratulations- louder than they could recall them cheering throughout the day.

"Talented! Brilliant! Incredible! Amazing! Show stopping! Never'll be the same! Totally unique! Completely never been done before! International 1-A wins, **INTERNATIONAL 1-A WINS!"** Present Mic squawked, slamming his hand repeatedly on the table while moving around fanatically, calming down only when he trips onto his chair and falls backwards. Aizawa, dredging through the ordeal, was simply relieved the U.A. Battle Royale was finally over with.

Shelby, Keali'i, Yemi, and Arjan walked across the stage as a group carefully and stopped right in front of Midoriya who was the furthest out; "Thank you, Deku." Shelby whispered with her hand hovering over the corner of her mouth, leaning down so that he could properly hear her.

When Midoriya managed to pick his head up to look at her, it was the first time seeing her real self in natural lighting. She was stunning, all of them were, he couldn't believe a beautiful girl like that had kissed his cheek- **him, of all people! **"U-Uh, y-you're welcome, Shelby . . . !" His stuttering made him feel his gratitude wasn't endearing enough, not to mention faltering over someone who just defeated him.

In the background, even through the roaring of the crowd, someone mumbling 'kill' and 'die' could be heard under a strained whisper; "Kacchan?"

"Goddammit, I hate you! I hate every single one of you! I'm going to kill all of you! How dare you beat me with your stupid singing and dancing?! You're all dead!"

"It's over Bakugo . . ." Iida sternly spoke as he feebly sat up.

"We lost." Todoroki integrated while he too was getting up.

"Never! I won't be beaten like this! You won't make it out of here alive, you hear me?! You won't-!" Bakugo couldn't finish his berating, his body was too weak to stand up and when he attempted to get up faster than his body could comprehend, he passed out.

While they were focusing on Bakugo's tongue lashing their classmates were making their exit, showering in flowers the audience was throwing into the center while the winners acknowledged their praise.

"International 1-A, everybody!"


	18. Hearten

"I can't believe we actually went through with that." Arjan groaned, his head feebly bobbing in and out of the trashcan trying not to vomit anymore than he already had, "I messed up so many times."

"There wasn't much else we could've done." Keali'i said while holding back Arjan's bangs, "We already screwed ourselves so it's not like we had anything to lose."

"Although going down in flames seems very on brand for us." Yemi conferred.

"I still can't breathe-" Arjan whined, his shaky hands tightly gripping the rim of the trashcan and knees nearing buckling.

"That's because you're having a panic attack." Shelby assured as she continued to rub his back, ". . . I'm sorry, for all of this."

"There's no point in us crying anymore, what's done is done." Yemi heartened while wiping away the tear wavering on Shelby's lower eyelid with the back of her index finger.

"God it'll be so nice to keep food down again." Stretched out Arjan with a grunt.

Suddenly, beeps emitting from the metal rings around their ankles interrupted their conversation, "Ten minutes . . ." Keali'i mumbled. Glowing individually in their allocated colors, the four of them reappeared in their original costumes, notably now tattered and frayed; the metal rings made one final clicking noise indicating they were no longer usable.

"Argh, I can't stand this thing!" Raged Arjan, peeling the spiked bald cap from his head and throwing it on the ground, scratching his blond hair furiously.

"Uh, didn't you have that glued to your head?" Keali'i pointed out while slipping down both masks from his face.

He sighed, "I don't know, for some reason I thought the adhesive would mess up our other costumes so I dissolved some of it before our match."

"I'll feel a lot better once we trash these things." Imparted Yemi as she removed her helmet and yellow spandex balaclava, shaking her head side to side to fluff out her textured hair before putting on her glasses.

"Like it even matters," Shelby remarked, pulling her wig off from the length then combing through her light pink hair with her nails, "I doubt anyone's ever gonna let us forget about this."

"Hey!" Called out a familiar, underwhelming voice.

The four of them jumped and coward close to each other with a shout, surprised to see that Aizawa had found them.

"What are you yelling for?" He asked.

"You scared the hell out of us!" Shelby trembled.

"You didn't have to sneak up on us like that!" Arjan followed up.

"I didn't even- . . . never mind." Sighed Aizawa, "You know, I have to admit, you four really outdid yourselves this time."

"W-We can explain-" Addressed Keali'i.

"I'm all ears."

With a hefty sigh from Keali'i, the group began hectically talking at once and over each, unable to deceiver what either of them were trying to disclose.

"N- wait, hold on, one at a time, one-at-a-time, please."

"-We were worried about not being taken seriously like we already have been," Yemi started off.

"We thought if we toughened ourselves up that no one would think twice," Arjan added.

"But instead we turned into jerks and treated everyone who was trying to be nice to us like crap," continued Keali'i.

"The only people who treated us normally were the other international students and that's only because two of them already went to the same school as two of us." Shelby shared.

"As soon as we knew we were in the wrong everything went down hill from there," uttered Arjan.

"But we'd thought there was no going back after keeping this up for long so we forced ourselves to keep going until we couldn't take it anymore," sniffled Yemi.

"We get that this wasn't the best way to come clean but in the end this is who we are- or rather, Suit As Sugar is the Pro Hero team we want to be," Keali'i disclosed.

"We're so stupid and that's the only answer we have to justify ourselves; nobody forced us to do this, we know what we did was wrong and we'll accept any punishment thrown at us." Cried Shelby.

"We're sorry." They whimpered in unison, their heads hung in shame while trying not to cry in front of their teacher.

Aizawa tilted his head side to side, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, ". . . I mean, you acknowledged what you did and tried to do something to fix it, which I can't say for most adults, but I really don't think I'm the one you should be apologizing to."

"Which is why we have The List!" Announced Yemi; with dramatic aptitude, Keali'i and Arjan together held a long, neatly written list consistent of points relating to ways of mending their relationships with everyone.

"Of course, we don't expect everyone to forgive and forget but we're still going to put in the effort!" Shelby promised.

"Well, I guess as long as you learned your lesson . . . Oh, by the way, Shelby, about your quirk-"

"Huh? Oh, that's right! I noticed you're still your grumpy self- n-not that I think you're like that or anything!"

"-Right, anyways, your quirk, there's a way to stop it's effect, yeah?"

"Well duh, but-"

"But what?"

"You don't have enough hands for all that work." Arjan blurted out.

"Huh?"

The confrontation of his international students provided information he was not expecting, not that he was to pry into their private matters to begin with, but when the situation involved his other students and the aftereffects brought upon by their behavior he became curious. Once he was satisfied by their answers he made his way back to the press box where he left his co-host, but Aizawa wasn't doing so empty handed.

"Hizashi . . . " Aizawa mumbled while quietly entering through door.

"Hmm?" Turning towards the sound of his voice, he noticed the bat held in Aizawa's hands along with his menacing gaze, "Ahh! W-Wait a minute-!"

"Tell me how you feel right now."

"I-I um-?! Scared?! Confused?!"

" . . . Oh good, you must've snapped out of it when you fell."

"What are you talking about?! D-Don't come any closer!"

"Relax, I thought you were under one of the student's quirks." He specified, sitting in the empty chair next to his partner, who was keeping a considerable distance from him despite no longer holding the club in his hands.

"So you were going to hit me with a bat?!"

"Nah, it was just a little something I picked up on my way here."

"Your jokes are the worst, you know that, and what's going on?"

"Everyone in the audience is annoyingly happy and stan-crazy thanks to the same quirk, so we're most likely the only two who aren't completely useless."

"So what does that mean?"

"Either we keep things on schedule without 1-A's international students or we wait a few hours for her quirk to wear off."

"A few hours?!"

"At the least, so it's up to us to decide."

"Hmm, you said everyone, right?"

"Anyone around who could hear."

Present Mic sighed, "Tch . . . Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and Pro Heroes of Japan, all good things must come to an end, and here we thought this year's first U.A. Battle Royale would never stop! Not only were we sent on a roller coaster of emotions, but we saw incredible things that we thought we'd never see in our lifetime! Both sides put their blood, sweat, and tears into each event but only one side came out on top, showing us what the next generation of heroes has in store for the world: international students, you paved the way of self-improvement and insured us that we should never stop growing- that our potential can exceed even our own expectations! Bask in your victory, champions, there's no place to go but up from here on out!"

During the sports festival commencement, the remaining international students stood in their appropriate spots divided by class to receive their medals, however, the fact that a large portion of the stage was empty raised some obvious questions from spectators, faculty, and students alike. Through their melodramatic disappointment, they proceeded with the closing ceremony in sullenness despite hopelessly yearning to be in proximity of their new 'idols' once again.

After the stadium had been completely vacated and the janitorial aspect began, Aizawa, being their homeroom teacher, was eventually caught up with and asked if he knew about the whereabouts of his international students and why they did not appear to receive their awards. Haphazardly, he explained that they sustained injuries during their match due to their lack of preparation and needed to seek medical attention; unable to discredit his statement, although they were no longer in a state of euphoria, they took his word and asked if he would personally deliver their medals at the end of the day.

Later that afternoon, around dusk, a promise made earlier in the day came unexpectedly under the current circumstances;

"Ahh, Javier!" The entirety of Class 1-A shouted as they saw him, personally, carrying a tall pot with the same hands that were cut off earlier; while in casual clothing, his arms and legs were concealed under some oddly textured coverings that resembled boots and gloves rather than casts.

"Y-You shouldn't be carrying that!" Sato trilled, trotting over to the other student and snatching the container from his hands.

"Should you even be out moving?! What about your arms and legs?!" Vociferated Ojiro while following Sato to assist in carrying anything else he may have had.

"Oh, don't worry about me!" Javier beamed, "I still got a few more hours of solidification before I'm limbless, and I already promised Recovery Girl I'd go to the hospital after this."

"Don't worry, we're keepin' an eye on him." Estelle affirmed, hover-handing the ingredients secured on top of Ximena's tail.

"To be fair, we did try to stop him." Softly mumbled Ximena.

"An' if ya' think that's bad, wait 'til ya' see all the strays we picked up on the way here." Mickey carped as they threw their thumb back behind them to reveal the entirety of Class 1-B behind them.

"Hey! Who are you calling strays?!" Shouted Kamakiri.

"How could you say that after hoarding all that good food without leaving us some?" Awase whined.

"B-But you guys have been eating Latin American food most of the time we've been here . . . " Javier disclosed.

"It's delicious!"

"It's a special occasion!"

With so many comments pouring in from the crowd of their peers, he couldn't help but to sigh, "Well, I can't argue with all that, now can I?"

"It's hopeless, Javi', they're addicted." Ximena loudly whispered.

While most of the dishes had been prepared and ready to cook before traveling between dormitories, they had left out some of the easier side dishes and entrees so that could put them together as a group, given there wasn't too many opportunities for the two classes as a whole to participate in out of school activities.

"You know, I thought with what happened today, they'd come down from their rooms." Yaoyoruza wondered out loud while pausing from peeling garlic cloves to look up.

"Ah, I wouldn't worry too much about them, they're probably getting some sleep." Estelle replied, tossing salt in a bowl of fresh-cut french fries- and Tetsutetsu, being swatted away after grabbing a few without her knowledge.

"What do you mean?" Asked Uraraka, hesitating to resuming slicing the tomatoes in front of her.

"Obviously, it would be hard for someone like me to be in their situation," sniffled Ximena while mincing onions, "but if I had a secret that was making me depressed and anxious I'd imagine it'd be exhausting and gut-wrenching to keep, but then once it was finally out, the physical and mental relief would be overwhelmingly intense."

Yaoyoruza and Uraraka shared a concerning glance, of course the others would know better than they would, but were they really going through such turmoil this entire time?


	19. Confront

Tensions were unfathomable the next school day, the international students of Class 1-A had yet to make an appearance since the sports festival and everyone was preparing to finally meet their classmates directly. There were mixed feelings weighing throughout the dormitory as the students navigated their morning routines as usual, keeping an eye out for anything different but everything seemed the same as before. Where were they? They weren't going out of their way to avoid them still, were they? There was no reason to, unless they were not as sincere as they made themselves out to be; some had now given them the benefit of the doubt, many remained on the fence.

As the entirety of on-campus students began to extend into the main school building for their classes, Class 1-A was using their spare time to investigate their familiar surroundings to search for any apparent signs of their abroad students. Considerably, most of them were able to locate the other abroad students in smaller groups, many who're surrounded by other students being lauded and fawned over for their exceptional and thrilling performances from the other day, but no indication of their own. There was only one other place they could be at this time of the day and everyone had collectively made their way to that specific destination in a hastened pace.

Unintentionally, they jammed themselves in front of the door trying to be the first to open the door, their thoughts overcome with unease and tense desire to find out what lies on the other side. With enough vehement motivation, a slight of hand assailant managed to drive the door open as everyone energetically piled into the doorway, seeing what they had sought after this entire time; in the upper left corner of the classroom they stood around Arjan's desk that Keali'i was sitting at, chatting away as though today was like any other day.

Arjan's previous deathmetal appearance had devolved into a contemporary grunge punk-style that lessened his unapproachable semblance; with the same disheveled uniform and piercings, his gossamer, light blond blue-tipped, uneven short hair and additional accessories sealed his look. Yemi, now exposing her lustrous dark skin, was undoubtedly human; her kogyaru-style uniform was paired pleasingly with her gold accessories, facial piercings and earrings, rimmed-glasses, and elegantly-tied gele. Keali'i, the one who changed the least, now had his hair pulled back into a neat bun decorated with island trinkets at the base leaving his green streak of hair to fall over his forehead. Shelby's same kogyaru-style uniform was bolstered by her medium, light pink hair with her bangs pulled up and fastened to the side with a white ball ponytail holder, additionally adorned with different shaped and colored barrettes fashionably oriented on her head; clunky, cutesy charms, faux jewelry pieces, and novelty knickknack earrings, bracelets, and necklaces were paired with tied and stretched cloth and plastic bracelets and necklaces, and stainless steel earrings and necklace. All four of them had scrunchies around their right wrists in their adjacent colors: blue, yellow, green, and pink, along with the same spade, diamond, club, and heart stamp on the outer corners of their eyes from the U.A. Battle Royale.

**"**_**Oh no they're hot!"**_ Class 1-A thought mutually.

Shelby, Yemi, Keali'i, and Arjan paused their conversation to align their gaze of their classmates, the restless setting in as inched closer in a theatrical manner while the others sunk behind Keali'i in dread; with a dramatically predatory look in their eyes, the abroad students trembled.

" . . . What the hell?! You're not allowed to be scared!" Cried out Kaminari.

"Y-You do release you have a trapped in a corner, right?" Keali'i quivered. There was a moment before they awkwardly loosened their blockade but remained close together.

"We don't mean to come off as aggressive," Jiro intervened, "but you already know you have a lot of explaining to do."

"We do know," Yemi calmly replied, "and we'll tell you anything you want to know as we've already planned on making up for our mistakes."

"Huh-? Wait, really?" Kirishima asked, bewildered.

"That was, easy?" Asui croaked.

"It's the least we could do, isn't it? We know we suck, but we are here until the end of the year- might as well try to be civil." Asserted Arjan.

Everyone looked at each other with discomfort and perplexity, no one had expected that kind of response from them and right from the beginning, no less. Midoriya, on the other hand, was alleviated by their convictions even if he hadn't completely excused them of their previous actions yet; their forthright was refreshing and standard for redemption given their heroic path.

"Y-Your quirks . . ." Mineta hauntingly moaned as he arose from the other side of their desk, "Reveal your quirks, you jailbait heathens!"

"Mineta!"

"Mm, okay, that sounds like a good start!" Proclaimed Shelby as Mineta was being penalized for his rhetoric.

"Ehh?"

"My quirk is: Sedimentary!" Arjan began, "I'm not really good at explaining things so your guess will be as good as mine. Basically, I can take anything made from sedimentary rock and use it however I like, so that includes things like sand, clay, dirt, and concrete for example."

"Whoa, that's a powerful quirk!" Ojiro admired.

"Doesn't that mean you can control like, everything?!" Sero wondered.

"Not exactly," he respired, "for one thing, they're three rock types and I can only control one of them, metamorphic and igneous are totally out of the equation, and second of all, weight and muscle mass play a huge factor in what I can move; asking me to move a boulder versus asking me to move a building in under a minute will have two different outcomes."

"That does make sense." Conferred Sato.

"Some quirks are too good to be true, non?" Glimmered Aoyama.

"For my quirk, mine is Electromagnetism!" Yemi exclaimed, "for those who don't know, electromagnetism is the phenomena associated with electric and magnetic fields and their interactions, electric charges, and currents with each other. In laments terms, I have the ability to manipulate these forces."

"That's incredible!" Yaoyoruza preached.

"So what kind of things can with your quirk?" Asked Hagakure.

"As it entails, my quirk allows my to utilize magnetic and electric fields however I see fit, while I still don't know the extent of my abilities; levitation, force field, electrocution, repeal- these are just some of the few skills I can provide."

"Guess that explains why we couldn't touch you guys." Kamanari lamented.

"And with such an extensive quirk we might never had figured the mechanics out had you not said anything." Iida distressingly reported.

"As for me, my quirk is Compressed Air!" Continued Keali'i, "There's really no other simpler explanation other than my body is a natural air compressor: I absorb air through my exocrine glands, the air increases inside my body, then I push out the air through my hands and feet with pressure."

"That's definitely not what I expected your quirk to be." Confided Kirishima.

"You're able to cut through everything so easily." Pointed out Asui.

"My quirk is strong, yes, unfortunately, compressed air, even at it's lowest pascal, can be fatal to living beings; lacerations, ruptures, embolisms, as long as there's no guarantee of noninjuries I have to use my quirk as cautiously and defensively as possible."

"T-That's crazy!" Mina hollered.

"It's a good that you're on our side!" Uraraka praised.

"And my quirk is: Siren!" Shelby cheered, "Just like the mythical creature, I mesmerize anyone with my sweet singing voice! Depending on the lyrics and tone of a song, I can affect people's moods and actions, even change the frequency and volume of my voice!"

"Sounds like something straight out of a child's fairytale." Tokoyami commented.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't sirens the ones who lured sailors to their death with their singing?" Shoji pondered.

"Y-Yes, b-but I'm not like that, I promise!" Shelby fretted while distraughtly waving her hands defensively.

"Pretty sure that wasn't a question about you." Softly exasperated Arjan.

"Mmph, anyways, my quirk's not all that's cracked up to be: even if a song is directed at someone other people can feel the effects of they're too close or my singing is too loud, I can't also tell how someone react's to certain emotions which could end up being really bad."

"Sounds like you could end up with one hell of a concert." Jiro wearily quoted.

"I guess music can be dangerous." Todoroki deadpanned.

During the disclosure of the abroad students quirks, nobody was paying attention to the time and were frightened when the classroom door slid open with an audible noise. As Aizawa stood in the doorway staring down his disorganized students, they scurried into their assigned seats as though nothing had happened.

" . . . Good morning."

The atmosphere had shifted dramatically since the unveiling, classes now felt complacent and relaxed the way they had been during their first year; their classmates became friendlier, helpful, a refreshing adjustment that couldn't have come sooner. This is who they were, warmly favorably and vibrant in the way they walked, the way they talked, difficult to hate them at first glance yet that's what they presumed would happen when they came here. The question, asked time and time again, as to why, assumingly, would be answered in time, and the affirmation of their foolishness from their own classmates wasn't enough-

As the four of them convened into Lunch Rush's Cafeteria to meet up with their friend's, as they did every school day, they were bombarded by an immovably huge crowd of students that was oohing and ahhing at their presence while simultaneously trying to compliment and hand them notes and small gifts.

"You guys are amazing!" Called out one.

"That performance was incredible!" Said another.

"I can't believe we have idols going to our school!" Shouted someone from the back.

"Erm, w-we aren't idols-" Shelby tried to explain before getting cut off by more kind regards.

"Shelby, I thought you said your quirk only lasts a few hours?" Leaned in and whispered Keali'i.

"It does . . . "

The others weren't respecting their boundaries, they moved in closer to admire them and since they weren't used to this type of behavior had difficulty asserting themselves and asking them to politely leave them alone. It was then that Omar loomed behind them and stared down his invasive peers with an threatening gaze that struck nervousness into everyone gathered.

"Excuse me," he spoke gutturally, "If you would be so kind as to leave my friend's alone so they could eat their lunches in peace, I would very much appreciate it."

"What my friend here is trying to say is," Intercede Mickey as they loosely wrapped their rubber hose arms around Omar's shoulder, "Ya' ugly!" They shouted through a large megaphone that appeared from nowhere, catapulting them back with the reverberating sound waves.

"Uh, wait, Mickey t-that's not-!" Arjan attempted to interject but was yanked around the neck along with Keali'i, dragging them to their table.

"Yea yea, slop up dates on ya' own time." They grumbled.

"I'm sorry about that, girls." Omar cordially apologized, lightly hovering his hands over their shoulders to guide them in the other direction.

"It's okay, Omar, thank you." Yemi reassured.

Making their way towards the center of the cafeteria, Shelby felt a gentle tap on the opposite shoulder and turned back to see who was trying to garner her attention. To her surprise, it was Kuroiro standing there stiffly while fidgeting his hands, looking timid in his expression.

"Um, aren't you the one I suplexed into the ground during our joint training awhile ago?"

He didn't respond, instead, he shoved an small envelope stamped with a red heart in her hands and scampered away in a hurry without ever looking her directly in the eye.

"Yeah I don't- I don't think can accept this . . ."


	20. Explanation

The solacement hadn't stopped, not quite yet, to their surprise, and most of the upraise came from their own classmates; the prominence came up once again during Foundational Hero Studies when they exhibited their real hero costumes in a glamorous group reveal:

**Arjan's white catsuit is paired with a matching turtleneck shrug and underbust harness lined with blue trim and piping creating a spade silhouette on his chest, short, cuffed, white gloves with blue trim, white utility-pocket garter belt with blue trim and piping, white over-the-knee utility-pocket boots with blue trim, laces, and platform outsoles; all eyelets, rivets, and rings are silver and spade-shaped, bondage straps are blue, and any ornaments are blue spades. Arjan's hair is brushed back by blue shield lens goggles with white trim and strap, a large, loose blue scarf hangs around his neck and partially obscures the lower half of his face. Small drumheads are strapped from his biceps down to his forearms along with two small drums attached to his belt of the color scheme.**

**Yemi's white, sleeveless, turtleneck crop top with large, diamond-shaped keyhole is embroidered with yellow trim and piping, white, below-elbow gloves with yellow trim, low rise white shorts with yellow trim, white knee high boots with yellow trim, laces, and wedge outsoles; all eyelets, rivets, and rings are silver and diamond-shaped, any ornaments are yellow diamonds. Yemi's hair is adorned with two yellow ribbons securing a naturally-textured bun on each side of her head, her eyes are covered by yellow shield lens goggles with white trim and strap in substitute of glasses. White, complex, electronic devices pertaining to her quirk are strapped to her biceps down to her wrists, thighs down to her calves, and secured around her hips and on her back.**

**Keali'i's white, form-fitting tank top with club-shaped neckline and green trim is paired with a green harness and worn over a green, sleeveless turtleneck, covered by a white, waist-length crop jacket with cuffed, medium length sleeves and classic collar lined with green trim, short, cuffed, white gloves with green trim, white, fitted cargo pants with green trim pockets, white ankle boots with green trim, laces, and short heel outsoles; all eyelets, rivets, rings, and buttons are silver and club-shaped, any ornaments are green clubs. Keali'i's hair is thick, wavy, and full in height, his bangs are brushed back with a green band tied at the back leaving long strands to hang down and equipped with a pair of green shield lens goggles with white trim and strap settled at his forehead.**

**Shelby's white, crop vest with a classic collar is trimmed and piped in pink and adorned with cutesy white wings on the back, worn over a pink, heart-shaped corset, short, cuffed, white gloves with pink trim, white, low rise hero briefs with pink belt and trim, thick, folded down, pink socks, white mid-calf boots with pink trim, laces, and tall heel outsoles; all eyelets, rivets, and buttons are silver and heart-shaped, any ornaments are pink hearts. Shelby's hair is fastened up the same, pink, shield lens goggles with white trim and strap is settled at her forehead, and pink bandana tied around her neck. White elbow and knee sleeves are worn on both arms and legs and covered by pink, flexible, heart-shaped pads. Her pink whip was haltered to her side on her belt.**

**"**_**How is that even fair?!"**_ Class 1-A thought bilaterally once again in regards to their attractiveness.

"Eh? What happened to your other hero costumes?" Asked Hagakure.

"Other hero costumes?" Responded Arjan.

"That was our first live performance together and in person so those were just our debut costumes." Keali'i stated.

"They weren't designed to be practical in combat." Yemi followed up.

"Which is why I designed these ones!" Proclaimed Shelby.

"Ah, kids-" All Might chimed, "while I'm over the moon that you're all getting along better, it's time to pick teams for your four on four!"

When all was said and done, Shelby, Keali'i, Yemi, and Arjan took center point of Ground Gamma along with Kaminari, Kirishima, Iida, and Shoji.

"Get ready to lose your winning streak!" Kirishima confidentially shouted.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Arjan responded.

At the call, the two teams charged towards one another and manually gravitated into their opponent's peripheral to make the first strike, unintentionally coupling themselves with the classmate closest to their element.

Yemi had ran Kaminari into a labyrinth of concrete walls and metal piping hoping that he could serpentine well enough to confuse and catch her off guard somehow, but unlike him, she had the high ground. Both of them had to be quick on their feet to outsmart and catch up with each other, and when Kaminari had Yemi in a viable position his victory became short lived; when she lowered herself between his sharpshooting discs-

"Ha hah! Sorry Yemi, no hard feelings, alright?" He prematurely gloated, sending his electrification quirk through the discs that were targeting directly at her, only, something was awry. His electrical currents were moving around her and hovering over her body, creating a visible barrier around her relaxed, floating body.

"Please tell me you didn't already forget . . . ?" Yemi sighed, "My quirk allows me to manipulate magnetic and electric fields, therefore, your quirk **doesn't** have any effect on me. I can also prevent you from returning your charge and even increase the voltage with the help of my equipment." Motioning the blowing of a kiss the current streamlined directly at the freaked out Kaminari, yelling out in pain when the large amount of electricity struck his body; laying on the ground completely short-circuited, Yemi levitated him somewhere out of the way.

"Whoa, what was that?!" Kirishima loudly wondered out loud before getting smacked by a chunk of concrete that crumbled upon impact due to his hardened skin.

Chasing after him through a large stretch of close quarter concrete pathing, Arjan bounced from wall to wall stretching out the foundation to create barricades between them, however, with Kirishima's quirk, the obstacles weren't difficult to plow through; Arjan was much quicker, he could separate them much faster than Kirishima could break past. With speed going against brawn, when the dust and rubble had cleared at the intersection, Arjan was no where to be seen leaving him unable to pinpoint a single direction.

Right from underneath Kirishima, a large sedimentary hand grabbed him tightly around the waist and projected him across the grounds, bashing through walls and piping with great force that damaged his body with each collision. After denting a bridge of pipes, Iida teetered side to side to keep his balance in order to get closer to Keali'i using his engine quirk.

"Kirishima!" Iida shouted before continuing after Keali'i at high speed; no matter how hard he pushed himself he couldn't get ahead of him, making the situation difficult to calculate how he'd achieve the upper hand. With his quirk he was faster that much was clear, but he knew his weaknesses from earlier today, he only needed to exploit them somehow.

Diving through openings, swirling around columns, dipping under industrial equipment, neither of them were letting the other get away despite the goal of today's training being the opposite. Perhaps there was something Iida knew that Keali'i didn't, he observed that his classmate was clunky in maneuvering around, as though he wasn't familiar with the layout yet, but him, on the other hand-

Continuing to test the existent of his endurance, Keali'i made a huge leap that was less than a quarter across Ground Gamma, and when Iida was following him without any issues, Keali'i rapidly spun his body around then kicked behind him with both feet; the blast of air was so intense that when Iida collided with the nearest wall, his hero costume shattered on contact. As his unconscious body collapsed against the concrete, Keali'i swiftly glided over and caught his body as gently as possible.

"Watch out!" Called out Shelby as she whipped away a piece of Iida's hero costume that was hurdling towards Shoji's supposed blind spot, then somersaulted backwards away from his elongated punch. Never had he imagined fighting an aspiring hero such as her- he knew what she was capable of, but what exactly did that mean to him? He still didn't know everything.

Shelby was able to dodge him with finesse and strike accordingly with her powerful arms and legs, something that wasn't useful for her particular quirk but made her more deadly as an opponent. Shoji could sustain her blows without much effort as his body was sturdier than most students, but she was still hurting him with each hit. Her moves were something else entirely, something someone would only see from a professional fighter, and she wound up showing him up by impressively vertically suplexing him to the ground.

"I'm gonna tear you a new one, tentacutie!" Aggressively sneered Shelby with her fist tightly twisting and pulling up the collar of his hero costume as her heeled boot firmly pressed into torso.

"O-Okay!" Shoji stammered in an earnest fluster, finding himself unable to defend himself and allowing her to manhandle him in the moment; Shoji had fallen victim to her allure and her muscles.

". . . **N-No!** You're not supposed to be aroused by that!" Shelby shouted loudly, just as flustered; with her quirk, involuntarily, the volume of her voice sent her opponent into the ground a few meters deep in an angled tunnel, "Eek! I'm sorry, _I'm sorry!_" She squeaked, helping him fish himself out as his quavering bones and disorientation made the process difficult.

"Well, although you weren't as destructive as you had been, I'd advise you be more conscious of strength when training with your classmates- given your powerful quirks." All Might apprised while rubbing the nape of his neck, "Other than that, good job apprehending the other team!"

"Thank you, All Might." Shelby, Yemi, Keali'i, and Arjan wearily spoke in unison with the other four standing by; Yemi kept Kaminari levitating a close distance to her since she didn't have the muscle to lift or carry him, Arjan had Kirishima on his back and kept him up with his arms tucked under his knees, Shelby allowed Shoji to bear some of his weight against her to at least keep him on his feet, and Keali'i held Iida with one arm under his legs and the other supporting his back.

"Keali'i, I insist you put me down this instant!" Iida protested as he waved his arm up and down with a stiff, outward hand, "This position is highly inappropriate for us and unnecessary as your assistance is no longer needed!"

"_Please don't make me launch you into the stratosphere."_ Keali'i quietly murmured.

After a few more class hours, school was done for the day and students were in the process of making their way back to the dormitories, however, there was still plenty more hijinks left to be ensnared.

"Well, today went better than expected." Yemi said as the four of them entered through the double doors of the 1-A dormitory and headed towards the elevator.

"It's only been one day, there's still plenty of time to screw things up somehow." Arjan followed up.

"We haven't even done anything we wrote down yet, at least everyone's willing to listen to us?" Shelby addressed, running her hands through her hair to slip and unsnap off the barrettes and untie her bangs.

When Yemi pressed the **up** button on the elevator panel, the quiet mechanics could be heard whirling from inside and when the doors opened, streamers of tape were blocking off the entrance.

"Is that . . . tape?" Obliviously questioned Arjan while Shelby was slowly bringing her index finger closer to the strips.

"Wait, I don't think you should-" Keali'i attempted to warn her, but her finger already made contact with the stickiness, "touch that."

As she tried to pull her finger off the tape her other hand got stuck, the back of her wrist then flew back and smack Keali'i in the chin. In retaliation, he went after her but managed to get himself stuck in the tape as well and to help him out of it whilst protecting Shelby from him, Yemi suffered the same fate as did Arjan when he attempted the same thing, all of which turned into a huge argument between the four of them as they struggled inside a loose cocoon of tape.

"Wow, I didn't think that would actually work." Sero noted outloud.

"I guess we overestimate them, too." Realized Aoyama.

"What the hell? What's going on?!" Yemi demanded.

"W-We're so sorry!" Uraraka apologized while helping them out of the tape.

"We didn't think you'd get stuck like this!" Hagakure followed, performing the same action.

"That still doesn't answer our question!" Interjected Keali'i.

"It's just- we had something we wanted to ask you guys." Kaminari mumbled.

"I said earlier you could ask us whatever you wanted, you didn't need to trap us!" Remarked Yemi, carefully picking the stickiness off her gele.

"We're still weary from before, and unfortunately, we aren't immune to making mistakes, either." Yaoyoruza sighed.

"But what is so important that you thought to do this?" Questioned Shelby as she was being helped up by Sato.

"There's been a few things that don't make sense that we're hoping you could clarify for us." Addressed Todoroki.

"That could be a number of things with us." Arjan informed.

"Take it away, Iida!" Mina called out.

"We've noticed there were some inconsistencies in your timeline: firstly, your team coordination is beyond exceptional- however, we are nearly two months into your arrival and such organization requires months if not years of training and intimacy. Speaking of intimacy, your friendship seems more substantial compared to your abroad counterparts- how you were able to get around here without us knowing is something you'll have to explain, as well, and of course, more about this idol group of yours-"

"We're not an idol group, we're a band." They affirmed in unison in a monotone, annoyed tone.

"-You ever try carrying around an entire drum set with you?" Asked Arjan.

"So you really are in a band, as in, you play instruments and don't dance around?" Further pressed Jiro.

"Of course," Yemi avowed, "I mainly play keyboard but I also do the electronic music for Suit As Sugar. My music goes hand and hand with my quirk so learning's always been a breeze."

"And like I said, I play the drums; different beats and sequences help me have better control over my quirk." Arjan spoke absentmindedly while drumming his index fingers on his thighs.

"I play electric guitar for the band, but I also play violin off-handedly. My quirk, unlike everyone else, isn't as intuitive with music, however, over the years I've learned that by applying certain pressure points on my hands I can change the pitch to produce sounds similar to vibrating strings; if anyone was actually curious, my hero name, **Air Riff**, comes from that phenomenon." Shared Keali'i.

"Shelby here on main vocals and bass guitar!" She exclaimed, "Um, I think it's pretty obvious how my quirk effects my singing, I guess I should be thankful I know how to sing!"

"What about the other stuff?" Tokoyami lilted.

"We figured out a long time ago how we'd manage to fend for ourselves," Yemi continued, rummaging through her backpack, "the hard part was figuring out how to get around without anyone knowing, which is why I made these-" in the palm of her hand, she held out a small, white, circular device, "by placing these noise cancelling devices on ceilings and walls they're set to transmit vibration patterns on the surfaces to counter any ambient noises, which is why you never heard us, but these devices are far from perfect, which is why I'm surprised Jiro never caught on."

"Huh? Me?"

"You made something like this? That's _incredible!_" Yaoyoruza beamed.

"Engineering is my passion, but you couldn't pay me enough to take support courses."

"And the last thing?" Iida hesitated.

"You mean it isn't obvious?" Questioned Arjan.

There was silence amongst the rest of the class, they shared glances and shrugs with each other but no one else had the answer.

"HeroVR." They spoke in unison.

"**Hold it!**" Midoriya loudly objected, "HeroVR is an extension of HeroChat, the world's most popular social media and social media networking service for Pro Heroes, where aspiring heroes can post and share text, photos, and videos of heroic content. HeroVR, a free-to-play multiplayer app, is an online virtual reality social platform where registered users can explore different worlds through virtual avatars. For global security purposes, HeroChat, including HeroVR, are region locked!"

"There's ways to get around it," claimed Yemi, "it takes a few more extra steps than you'd normally use but it's possible."

"It's kind of a pain, too, so it's not like everyone's doing it." Vouched Arjan.

"O-Oh, it's not illegal?"

"I mean, not unless you're scamming money or selling drugs or something." Arjan finished.

"It'll be almost four years since we met!" Shelby added.

"Is that everything you wanted to know or-" Asked Keali'i.

"I think you answered some very important questions and we appreciate you being open with us." Assured Yaoyoruza.

"We intend to keep our promises whether you trust us yet or not, but we're more than happy you're giving us a chance to say what we have to say, so thank you." Yemi spoke for everyone as they bowed their heads in gratitude. Just as they were turning their attention back to the elevator, a foot slammed against the platform's panel before Arjan's hand could make contact.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bakugo growled.

"Dude, what are you doing?!" Concernedly demanded Kirishima.

"You think you're going to get away with what you did at the sports festival? Suit As Sugar? More like Shoddy As Shit! You made me look like a complete idiot and I refuse to let you take that win away from me! I want a rematch, we're going to-"

"No." They answered simultaneously.

Bakugo was shocked, he was not expecting an answer that quickly, ". . . What the hell?! What do you mean **no**?!"

"I think you should back off, Bakugo." Uraraka beckoned.

"We don't owe you an explanation." Shelby retorted, "**No** is reason enough."

"Shelby's right," Yemi asserted, "we're allowed to refuse something for no other reason other than we don't want."

"Hero rivalries are stupid and pointless, anyways." Claimed Arjan.

"We're supposed to help each other and be there for one another, not press each other's buttons and tear into one another; just because we've chosen this as a career doesn't make us any less human. We're heroes, and regardless of status or quirk- we're going save the day." Keali'i sternly finalized.

The common room was silent and still, nobody predicted an answer like that coming from them, but they weren't exactly wrong. Bakugo himself had no idea how to reply and despite his facial expression, anger was silently boiling inside of him; his foot hesitantly slid down the wall and slumped onto the floor. Arjan pounded the **up** button on the elevator panel with the side of his enclosed fist and when the doors opened the four of them gathered inside, neither of them looking happy unlike prior to Bakugo's intervention. When the doors slid shut, Bakugo threw a hard punch at the metal conveyor doors, softly and angrily grumbling to himself.


	21. Survey

Midoriya peeked over walls, peered around corners, skulked behind garbage cans and benches, going above and beyond to catch a glimpse of the international students at work. Was this considered stalking? He hoped not; after seeing their performances during recent events he became fascinated by their quirks, determined to learn more about them and what these upcoming heroes had to offer for the future. Although approaching them directly would be easier than his current method the significant social and status gaps between them made him nervous about proceeding, especially when he's only partially acquainted with them. Midoriya was going to fill the pages of his notebook and complete their profiles one or another.

In the cafeteria, listening as closely as he possibly could from a safe distance, Midoriya attentively monitored for certain keywords that would divulge their conversations into explaining aspects of their abilities and skill sets. In fact, he was so focused that he was oblivious to the bubblegum bubble inflating next to his ear, then pop!

**"****Waaah!"**

"What'cha doin', creep?" Shelby casually asked.

"Huh?! Ah-? Oh, Shelby, it's just you, haha. Me? O-Oh, well, I can explain, I swear! You see- _Gah!_"

Before he could even attempt to persuade her with an obvious lie, Shelby dug and rolled her elbow deeply into his shoulder until the notebook fell from his hands and caught from underneath with her free hand.

"Shelby . . . ! It hurts- . . . !" Midoriya strained then gasped in relief when she finally pulled her arm away. Shelby didn't seem to pay mind as she flipped through the pages and skimmed through each information tidbit, lightly rocking from side to side on the balls of her feet absentmindedly while reading.

"Oh wow, you actually made your own hero guide? That's so cool!"

"You think so?"

"Uh, yeah! You did a really good job simplifying everyone's quirks and drawing their profiles!"

Midoriya was almost speechless, he wasn't expecting someone like her to compliment and appreciate his interest, "T-Thank you! It means a lot that you-"

"Buuuuuut-"

"But?"

"Our pages are almost empty!"

"What do you mean? I wrote down exactly what you four said the other day."

"Still, there's hardly anything written here other than a few sentences! Oh, but don't worry, I'll fix it for you, I know pretty much everything about Yemi 'n the boys!" As Shelby quietly went through each page and neatly filled in absent tidings, the fluffy pink topper of her pen swayed with the motion of her wrist jewelry that softly jangled with each brisk movement.

" . . . Shelby?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you want to become a hero?"

For a second, her pen abruptly stopped moving, "Why do I want to be hero? Does there really need to be some sort of reason other than wanting to help protect and save people? I mean, that's basically the definition of a hero, right?"

"Uh, r-right."

"Hey, how come all the other abroad students profiles are practically blank?!"

"Well, you see, that's what I was-"

"Ohhh, I get it, you just haven't gotten around to asking them yet! Don't worry, I'll ask for you!"

"W-Wait, Shelby! I don't think-!" Midoriya was too late, there was no stopping her as she was much quicker than he was getting up, and by the time he'd gotten close enough to her everyone at the lunch table had collectively agreed out loud.

**Ah.**

Watching Estelle's footwork on the thin layer of diamond as she effortlessly created circular and serpentine patterns by gliding efficiently on the blades of her skates was just as impressive as her sequences, or so Midoriya thought. After performing a couple toe loops through a cleanly executed jump combination, Estelle approached her next jump backwards and used the toe pick of her opposite foot to take off, spinning three times, then landing on the outside edge of her other foot; marveled by her attainment, she was eager to continue exhibiting her skills to her one-man audience. Starting with a sit spin her speed increased as she slowly unbent her knee and transitioned into a layback spin, and with sleek flexibility transformed her spin into a flawless Biellmann. From her skating to her quirk everything about Estelle was unblemished, but even perfection isn't absolute; as she set up to perform a triple loop the edge of her skate hit a small notch in the diamond causing her to trip and land hard on her bottom.

"Arrrgh, ki kaka sa?! Ki sa'w gen yen?!" Estelle yelled, kicking her feet angrily while thrashing her fists around.

"Estelle, are you okay?! Also, that was amazing!" Midoriya shouted as he ran over and extended his hand to help her up.

"Yeah yeah, I'll be fine, I've had worse. Idyot. Salopri." She murmured into her hands that pressed tightly to her face in shame.

"Please don't feel bad, we all make mistakes."

"If this was a competition the judges would've wiped the floor with me for that."

"Good thing it isn't, huh?"

Estelle sighed, kneeling down with her hand to her diamond sheet to break the crystal apart, "Guess so."

After cleaning up her makeshift ice rink, Midoriya and Estelle found a nearby bench to sit down at and shared pieces of dous makos that Estelle had pleasantly wrapped inside her bag, "Shelby said something about you wanting to interview all of us for your book? It's natural, of course, that'd you'd want to speak to me first." She confidentially spoke with her chest puffed out.

"Erm, well, actually you were the first one I found." Mumbled Midoriya- at least she cheered up, "Anyways, do you mind telling me about your quirk?"

"Not sure what there is to tell, my quirk is Diamond, I can create diamond anywhere on my body as well as project them- supposedly, through my pores." Estelle stated, pinching her cheeks and gently tugging on her skin.

"Oh, I see! Your quirk generates similarly to Keali'i's!"

"Yeah, but a lot of times I get fragments stuck in my skin so I gotta pull'em out with tweezers or cut them out with a scalpel. Totally not fun."

Midoriya nodded twice, "That's quite common for many mineral quirks."

"Are you sure you want to be a hero and not a researcher?" She lightly chuckled.

"Oh no, this is just a hobby of mine! I'm just very passionate about it, like you are with ice skating! Too bad I'll never get into Olympics with writing."

"In that case you're better off being a hero, trust me."

"What makes you say that?"

Estelle sunk in her seat, nibbling listlessly on a small piece of fudge, " . . . Mwen pa konen, 'cause it's not as great as people make it out to be?" She took her hair out of her ponytail and ran her fingers through her thick, curly hair, "Sure, it's not as extreme as being a hero, but you put so much on the line and for what? Your fans, your money, your reputation- gone the instant you're no longer able to skate. Not to mention the pressure, the criticisms, the competition- look I love competing, way more than the average person, but there can't be any mistakes, no screwing around or slacking off, not if you want to be the best. Don't get me wrong, all those trophies and medals look amazing stacked up on one another, but you earned them by becoming your own worst enemy. I want rewards that actually mean something, pride that never dies, glory that lasts for generations- I'm more than just a one-trick with a pretty face and a luxurious quirk, ala tonnè!" She softly gasped before clasping her hand over her mouth; Estelle didn't like showing vulnerability, especially for people she hardly knew. So she sat in silence, shaking in frustration with a flushed face

"Estelle, i-is everything alright . . . ?" Asked Midoriya but no verbal response, however, she put her hand close to his face with palm facing towards him then slowly rotated her hand in a circular motion until**slap!** Estelle's hand made hard contact with his face, knocking him off the bench and onto the ground. When he recovered, she was nowhere to be seen, "Estelle? Estelle, where did you go?"

As he called out for her she hid behind a large oak tree, squatting low to the ground as she mildly pummeled her fists against her head while quietly grumbling insults towards herself.

"Oh yeah, Estelle has a hard time opening up to people, I'm surprised she told you all that!" Mused Javier.

Lost in observation, Midoriya continued to touch and prod at Javier's arms, "Amazing, even though your arms haven't fully-recovered you've managed to regain your reflexes and overall control in such a short amount of time."

"Recovery Girl deserves credit for that one, her quirk really helped speed things along!"

"And it doesn't hurt at all still?"

"Not really, aside from my skin still being a bit tender and my joints snapping when I bend them, I feel fine!"

"I wish I had your pain tolerance; it's one thing to break bones but severing limbs is something else entirely."

After relinquishing control of his arms Javier went back to tending to the plants on his balcony, leaving the sliding door open to keep as much attention on Midoriya as possible while he worked through multiple pots and planters, "It took years to overcome the hesitation but it's definitely worth it. Molten Core is a lot more complex than people think- I'm a human volcano, if you couldn't already tell, my body doesn't function the same way as everyone else's does; my quirk is difficult to control and extremely dangerous, an emanate destruction of unrelenting magnitudes." Javier sat up to stretch his back then flexed his muscles towards Midoriya, "But, this power was given to me by my Inca ancestors and I'm going to do my best to honor it by becoming a legendary hero!" He cheered with a wide smile.

"So that's why you wanted to become a hero, that's awesome! I would've never guessed that was your reasoning, especially because you seem so attached to gardening."

"You're not wrong, Montañero Farm & Winery has been a family company for generations, I spent my whole life working on acres of lush fields of fruits and vegetables and love every second of it- even when I'm not home I'm still farming! Weón, I can't even sleep at night without completing a full day's work, and this is how I satisfy that need. I'm truly privileged for the life that I have, and I know not everyone has the luxury to live the way they want to, so if I can make someone's life easier by taking care daily injustices then I'm more than happy to do just that!"

"Sounds like Chile's getting a new number one hero after graduation, you're surely making your family proud."

"That's the plan! Ah, here you go," said Javier has he handed Midoriya a small basket of fresh vegetables, "I gathered the best of the bunch just for you!"

"Wooow, Javier these look amazing! They look almost unreal!"

"That's all thanks to the Montañero family secret! Now I rinsed the dirt off of these with purified water but make sure to wash them again to get rid of the excess dirt before eating."

"Oh I will, thank you, and thank you for talking with me! I'm going to go see if anyone else is around so I can hopefully get this done by the end of the day! Bye, Javier!"

"Chau chau, mino! Que tengas un buen día!"

"Gimmie that shit!" Asserted Mickey as they swiped a carrot out of Midoriya's basket.

"W-Wait, Mickey don't! Javier said they had to be washed first!"

"Quit earbashin' me, will ya'?! I know how vedgies work!" They chided, hawking up a glob of spit then rubbing their saliva into the root with their elbow until the vegetable began sparkling, "There, ain't she a beaut'?"

"Wha-?"

"So ehhh," Mickey began, taking three bites of the carrot, "What's up, Deku?"

"I um- I just really want to know how your quirk works. Please."

"Ain't'cha figured it out already?! I'm a bloody Toon! The one who specializes in takin' wowsers, down a peg, squashin' egos, an' confusin' brainiacs, who holds no barres an' takes no prisoners in humiliation, embarrassment, an' bewilderment; the wacky, zany, karmic trickster character that everyone loves to tune into every Saturday mornin'! Mickey Cox is the name, creating chaos is my game!" As Mickey illustrated their presentation they rapidly cycled through different Golden Age tropes to exemplify their quirk: _juggling dangerously, amusing injuries, cranial eruption, circling birdies, hammerspace, dynamite candle, eat the bomb, dinner deformation, non-fatal explosion, inflating body gag, and with a deep burp, Mickey blew out smoke in the shape of the word 'ouch' with an unwavering smile._

Midoriya, who had trouble keeping up with what was happening, was writing so fast in his notebook that for a brief moment the friction created smoke. "Ah, um, M-Mickey? Do you think you could be more specific, please?" He pleaded.

They rolled their pie-eyes with a groan, "Not the full quid, are ya'? No drama, I'm sayin' I can do everythin' they can do in the ol' cartoons! Bop it, twist it, pull it, I can do it all! Sure, I don't know how my quirk works half the time, but it's heaps fun messin' with blokes- I just think of doin' somethin' an' it happens!" To demonstrate, Mickey pulled Midoriya's tie down prompting his pants drop down; scrambling to pull them back up, they swapped his notebook with a pornographic magazine. After viewing the contents for a few seconds he pushed his arms out and looked away flustered, then Mickey took his arms and elongated them before tying them into the shape of a balloon dog. To stop him from freaking out, they clasped his hands and untied them by shaking them loose- smacking him in the face with his own rubbery arms as they returned to normal. As Midoriya was rendered flabbergasted, Mickey nonchalantly returned his notebook and pencil to his hands and manually reset his pose.

"S-So what you're really telling me is you don't actually know how your quirk works?"

"Erm, well, yeah!" From an irregular corner, Mickey pulled out a large chalkboard then retrieved a graduation cap and large glasses from their cranial compartment before putting them on, "Quirks are just phenomenons, right?" They asked while jotting down answers on the green board in chalk, "Well, so is Toon! A character whose personality an' appearance are exaggerated; often unable to complete the most basic tasks without falling victim to a number of improbable variables in order to fulfill consistent, tolerated chaos, an' just how do we accomplish that? We just, uh, do, 'cause we can!" Mickey felt intelligent by their sound explanation, but Midoriya was still quite perplexed.

"I . . . I'm still confused."

**"****-The hell with you, then!"** Shouted Mickey in frustration to his lack of understanding, shoving the chalkboard and him out of frame where he wound up in Ximena's bedroom, the next place he was going to after talking with Mickey; she was sitting at her desk softly humming to herself while writing.

Ximena's instincts kicked in the moment Midoriya forcibly entered her room, pulling her headphones off her head and looking in the opposite direction, **"****. . . Eeeek!"**

Midoriya slammed his body on the ground and frenetically bowed repeatedly, "Ximena I'm so sorry! I have no idea how I got here, I swear! One minute I was in the school with Mickey and they pushed me and now I'm here! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please don't eat me!"

"E-Eh? You said Mickey pushed you?" She sighed in the relief, "That makes a lot more sense then, I hate when they do that!"

"So you're not gonna eat me?"

"No! I would never- I mean, not without spitting you right back out afterwards!"

"Oh thank goodness." He alleviated, sinking into the carpet facedown and lying still.

"Um, do you need a minute . . . ?"

"Yes, please."

Once Midoriya was able to fully recuperate in silence he returned to his full vigor and was ready to continue his task, "So Ximena, tell me about your quirk!" He cheerfully asked, sitting at the edge of the coiled length of her tail.

"Are you sure you don't want some water or something? You seemed really exhausted."

"Don't worry about me, I'm a lot tougher than I look!"

"Well, if you say so, but I'm not really sure what I can tell you, I'm a snake, after all."

"True, but we don't have as many rattlesnakes in Japan and you're the first person I've met who's the most snake-looking!"

"Oh, I'm flattered that you noticed! What exactly is it that you want to know, though?"

"Anything! What is it about you that makes you different from other reptilian heroes?"

"Motive, perhaps? I know I'm soft-spoken and shy, but I'd like to be able to utilize my appearance and status to make a difference in my country. You've probably already heard this from Javier but Latin American has some of the highest crime rates in the world, combined with more than triple the world average- mainly due to social inequalities. I know that if I can help the women of Mexico achieve awareness, safety, and equality, that I chose the right path and I can be more than I limit myself to be."

"So your goal is to become an advocate for women's rights in Mexico, maybe even a symbol like All Might?"

"Oh gosh no, I don't think I could live up to that title, but something to a lesser extent is good enough for me!"

"And what is it about your quirk that makes you such a powerful hero?"

"Um, let's see, well, pit vipers have a fossa here between our eyes and noses which are just external openings to extremely sensitive infrared-detecting organs, they're used to help determine the size and range of warm-blooded prey or find cool locations to rest during the day. We also have these muscles called MPG between our heads and venom glands that forces venom out when they're contracted."

"I see, that's how you were able to tell I was in the room even though you didn't hear me."

"There's that, and the fact we're ambush predators- we typically wait patiently in hiding and strike unsuspecting prey, crotalines keep to themselves and strike only if cornered or threatened; you may have scared me when you were pushed in but I could sense you weren't an intruder."

"That's a relief, you're the last person I'd want to surprise- hey, what are you writing there, by the way? Homework?"

"O-Oh, this? No it's not homework, I-I just like writing, like you."

"You do? Do you also like researching heroes and creating cyclopedias?"

"Not exactly, no, I prefer certain types of fiction . . . "

"A fiction writer, huh? That's so cool! I bet you're the type that writes in-depth fantasy novels with tons of lore, I would love to read your work sometime!"

"N-No! I-I mean, I don't think you'd be interested in reading my stuff, it's not very good-"

"Don't say that, we all have to start out somewhere! I'm sure what you've written is great!"

Ximena didn't want to come off as rude, she truly did appreciate Midoriya's enthusiasm, but she couldn't allow him read a single sentence on her paper or else find out exactly what type of literature she was into writing. In the moment, she couldn't think of a way to diverge his attention elsewhere and continued to babble excuses- that was until she slipped up: hidden between the coils of her tail were resource materials that accidentally slipped out as Midoriya meandered further. On the cover of the vintage book were two beautiful women in the throes of passion while impending doom awaited them.

Ximena and Midoriya both stared at the book in silence, " . . . Ah, Ximena? Is that your-?"

The tip of her tail began rattling furiously and he knew right away that he was in danger; he cautiously brought his eyes back up to hers and could instantly feel the agitation in her deadly gaze. Enthralled to make her acquaintance, he overstepped his boundaries by overlooking her kind aberrations.

**"****Get ouuuuut!"** She hissed loudly as her fangs sprung out from her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Ximena! Please forgive me!" Shouted Midoriya, bolting out of her room without looking back.

The water resistance was no match for the sheer force and speed of the anthropomorphic vertebrate as his silhouette soared through the outdoor pool, Midoriya could hardly keep track of his impressive movements. Even with one arm, the molecules pulling against his aquatic skin couldn't slow him down. The practice carcasses spread out were undaunted by Bassam's spy-hopping and breaching, but watching him approach each slab of meat with different techniques and tear through them with ease was truly a sight to behold.

"Wow, Bassam, you're incredible, and terrifying!" Midoriya cheered from pool's edge, eagerly writing down his observations.

"Haha, thanks! I get that a lot!" Beamed Bassam as he drew near and tossed his stump arm over the lip of the pool's edge.

"Is it something you had to learn or is it pure instinct?"

"A little of both, you see, my mom is ring wrasse merwoman and my dad is a great white shark merman, two completely different orders of vertebrate quirks!"

"Oh wow, I would've never guessed! That's amazing!"

"Heh, yeah, I don't have my dad's nose so not many people guess right, though I feel the teeth and tail are a dead give away."

"And what about the ring wrasse?"

"Well males of that species are known for having vibrant blue and green coloring, but my reckless habits shred up my pretty fins."

"So aside from appearance mostly, you're more shark than anything?"

"Yes, akeed! They even say I've got the jaw pressure of my prehistoric ancestors!"

Midoriya's body tensed as he cautiously asked his next question, "I-I um, hope this isn't too personal, but can you tell me what happened to your arm?"

"Ya rayyal, this thing? When I was younger I was pretty dumb, more dumb than I am now, and I'd take on any challenge without thinking, so this one time my friends challenged me to diving scavenger hunt and I just had to do it! Things were going great, you know, I was totally in the lead, that was until I got my arm stuck between some rocks. I tried everything to get it loose but it hurt too much, and that's when I started drowning. Being a little kid, you're scared, you're not experienced enough to know what to do in those situations, so I did the only thing I thought I could do: I had a nearby reef shark bite my arm off. Wallah, it hurt so bad, wallah, by the time my friends came to my rescue my arm was already shark food; you'd think with an experience like that I'd gone vegetarian!"

Despite his light-hearted story-telling, Midoriya felt devastated by the truth of his loss. As someone who hands were a valuable asset yet fought inconsequential with them, he has yet to imagine a future without them. "Bassam, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry for what? It wasn't that bad, although I was originally right handed!"

"But didn't you worry missing an arm meant you couldn't become the hero you wanted to be?"

"Wouldn't you?" He asked, pushing himself away from the edge with his feet then floating on top of the water on his back. "I still doubt myself sometimes, but you know what? I know I'll be a great hero- I am a great hero! You know, living off my family's fishery I didn't know much of anything, then I found out how beautiful the world is, both sea and land! I always loved watching things grow and change and I wanted to help everyone that made that happen, turns out fighting crime was the funnest way to do it!"

"I had no idea you felt that way, I-"

"Oo, there's my bud with my extra meat!" Bassam excitedly cut off Midoriya, splashing him with a large surge of water accidentally with his tail. Not only was he being ignored, he was also dripping wet.

"I'm so sorry about Bassam, he tends to be easily persuaded and side-tracked when it comes to food." Fatima light-heartedly chuckled as she helped dry off Midoriya's face and hair.

Midoriya didn't respond, he had been rendered speechless by his upperclassman's beauty; he hoped she wouldn't point out his reddened face and clammy skin. He nervously thought, "_I've never seen Fatima this close before, she's so pretty, and she's touching me!"_

"What was it you needed from me?" She asked, handing him the towel before walking back over to the kitchen counter to continue baking her macarons, "Some information about my quirk for a project?"

"Uh, n-not exactly- I mean, i-it's more of something for myself, you know?"

"Well, regardless, I'm more than happy to tell you. Now let's see, where should I begin . . . ? My quirk, Mechanical-Mass Teleportation, is based upon the theory that black holes act as portals to alternate universes rather than stellar chasms; by calculating the target distance and radius needed, I create these gravitational bodies by wiggling my nose and it's as simple as that!"

"It was so cool watching you phase in and out during your final fight but scary getting sucked into one of those things."

"Once an object has been centered inside there's no pulling away, and only I am capable of returning the object."

"Just out of curiosity, what happens if someone gets pulled inside and you don't return them?"

"Hm, that's an interesting question, although I would never experiment with another person I'd imagine they'd be stuck floating in an endless void of blackness until I brought them back, if such a thing was even possible."

"What about you? Do you ever worry about anything happening to you traveling through something that powerful?"

Midoriya could tell Fatima was hesitant to answer, almost as if she was thinking of the right words to say, "Oui, tous les jours de ma vie," her voice had become dispirited as her eyes dimly shunned grief, "this gift I got from my father, I will always be grateful as his only child to have such a powerful quirk, even when this was the very quirk that killed him."

There was a hitch in Midoriya's breath, he was ready to stop her before she started crying but she continued, "I was very young when he passed but I will always remember him as a gentle, caring man who always put everyone before himself, and someone who loved love very much. My mom and him lived humbly as store-owners, helping out the community and giving out to heroes- living the life they always dreamed of together, and yet, neither of them ever expected that someone would turn on them. During a robbery, my father used his quirk to protect my uncle from getting shot, but when he returned, my father didn't. Three days later they found my father dead with more than half his body missing; the police believe his body, in that moment, was unable to transfer wholly and was caught in the rift upon reentry. Never in my life had I seen my mother more devastated, she'd completely shut herself and I from the world and disregarded all good brought to our attention, I thought she'd never change, that was until she met my step-mother- I don't know how she managed to bring the life back into my mother's eyes and return her to me, maybe she saw the same thing she saw in my father? Mon dieu, if it wasn't for her, I would've never even considered being a hero, but she's always assured me my father was proud that I was becoming the woman I've always wanted to be." Fatima had tears in her eyes, Midoriya choked back his own tears, her story had moved both of them in a way he was not expecting.

As she gently pat-dried her tears, the alarm on the stove began to ding, "Oh, ma macaroons!" She exclaimed with a grin on her face, carefully pulling out the confections from the hot oven. Midoriya was surprised to see her mood change so quickly but he knew baking was considered therapeutic to some people, and watching her pipe the buttercream underside every other cookie had it's own restorative effect on him. "Parfaite! Now let's give these a taste-"

In the blink of an eye, Midoriya had planted himself right in front of the counter with a grin that stretched from ear to ear, his eyes bright and fingers briskly tapping, "And who better to taste them then our absolute sweetheart here?" Fatima giggled, lightly picking up the confectionery and placing the cookie in his mouth. The moment he took a bite his eyes began to water again, whining in delight as he chewed slowly to savor every bite, "Oh! You really like them, huh? How about I just give you the rest of these, then? I promise it's no trouble at all, I can always make more!"

With a squeal of felicity Midoriya took the box of deserts that Fatima had neatly wrapped up into his shaky hands, scurrying out of the room in an excited manner; Midoriya was certainly odd, but she was happy that he was happy.

"So Bassam splashed you with rancid meat water and that's why you smell like the inside of a hot cooler?" Grumbled Chelsea, spritzing fruity air freshener on and around Midoriya.

"Uh, _yeeeaah._" Midoriya had no idea he smelt that bad, and whether Fatima was too nice to say something to him or the aroma of fresh baked goods masked his scent was still on Bassam's part.

"Well, anyways, you came to see me because you wanted to know about my quirk?" She asked, pointing directly at the aerosol can in her hand that instantaneously switched places with the water bottle on her nightstand, "You do know magicians aren't supposed to reveal their secrets, right?"

Midoriya gazed upon her in awe, "That's why I've got to know how your quirk works! It's incredible! Everything you do is practically flawless, almost like you're using real magic!" He then feverishly moved around her room and intently inspected the strange gadgets and apparatuses throughout, "How many of these do you use out on the field? Do have a strategy for each tool? Where do you store them? How do you store them? Did you make these yourself or do you purchase them? How long did- Hrk!" He was no longer able to speak, his mouth had suddenly filled to capacity with a wad of cloth where a rope of tied colorful scarfs began spilling out.

In amidst his panic Midoriya hadn't seen the end of the scarves slink in Chelsea's other hand until she pulled him towards her aggressively, "Do I look like I have all freakin' day?!" She chided, pulling the remaining scarves out of his mouth and twirling them around her arm before letting them fall into a small pile into her hand, then with a tight grip, her hand became empty. "If you have questions, ask them one at a time, please."

"R-Right! Sorry, sorry! A-Anyways, so um, what is your quirk and how does it work?"

"Phantasia's kinda hard to explain, see it's a quirk that requires a mastery in performing arts which is why my tricks and illusions appear seamless; without proper skill or handling my strategies could be easily interpreted, but with precise visuals you can astonish audiences and criminals alike while always keeping them guessing."

"I see, your quirk requires a lot of technique in order to utilize it to the fullest extent in combat."

"That's right- all these props are just gimmicks without the methodization. The classic magic wand, for example," using a pulling motion behind his ear, a black-and-white magic wand appeared in her grasp, "truly an icon for classic magicians, a sacred tool of the arcane, nah-" with an effortless snap, the wand broke in two, "I just buy a bunch'a these whenever they're on sale, and what about the famous top hat?" With a finessed toss, Chelsea catapulted her top hat using the weight of her water bottle into her hand, "Classic and formal, wouldn't'cha say?" As she mused whimsically she blew up the topper and dropped the wand pieces inside, then tipped the hat over and patted the crown twice where a waterfall of rabbits began suddenly pouring out and filling up her dorm room.

"Gah! I can't breathe!" Midoriya pleaded while searching for an opening, then with a brief poof of smoke, the rabbits disappeared completely with the exception of one sitting properly in Chelsea's hat, "While there's no magic in this ol' hat, it's definitely been through some enchanting moments."

"Chelsea," Midoriya began with a light cough, "I hope this doesn't come off as rude, but you seem more of an entertainer than an enforcer."

"Hm, yeah, you caught me."

"Eh?"

"It's pretty obvious, huh? I won't deny that's who I was born to be, but what kind of life is that, anyways? I become a famous magician performing regularly at The Colosseum making millions of dollars and dazzling hundreds of thousands of tourists a week, having more than everything I've ever wanted being served on a silver platter and hand fed to me, then when my secrets and vices are broadcasted and written for everyone to see I become another washed-up artist who guest stars in B-rated TV shows and product commercials just to revel in the spotlight for another minute and stay relevant for newer generations? Doesn't sound as rewarding as being a hero, does it?"

"I-I see . . . " Midoriya wasn't sure what to say, he wasn't expecting Chelsea to have looked so realistically into her future and approached her options with a clear conscious. Her maturity made him reflect on his own; was he on the right path as well, or was he allowing unrealistic expectations to skew his promise to All Might? While deep in thought he hadn't noticed Chelsea sitting next to him on her bed, her body pressed up against his arm as he scratched a few notes down in his notebook.

"Dekuuuu~" Chelsea playfully whined, "I thought you were interviewing me? Pay attention to meeeeee~" The charm of an beautiful upperclassman was a monumental upfeat to an awkward teenage boy, leaving Midoriya rendered completely stiff and flushed as her chest rubbed against his bicep; her face was close to his, he could feel her warm breath brush against his ear with every word. He was in trouble, he needed to think fast.

**"****U-UUhhhh that'sallIhadtoaskyouyesthankyougoodbye!"** Midoriya quickly spat, leaping off the bed and sprinting towards the door- only, he miscalculated his trajectory and slammed his face into the doorframe full force before scuttling away in embarrassment.

Cheslea snickered, "What a dork, huh, Houdini?" She asked the white rabbit climbing on her shoulder.

"You're telling me you got this lump on your head because you ran into a door?" Omar asked, lightly dabbing Midoriya's forehead with a cold, wet cloth.

"Y-Yeah?"

" . . . I don't believe you."

"O-Omar, please!"

"Regardless, the swelling will continue to decrease with a cold compress but you'll have a small scar once you've recovered."

"Thank you, I appreciate your help."

"It's no problem, I've had to play doctor plenty of times before. Now, about your request, you wish to learn about my quirk and it's anatomy, correct?" He questioned with a grin.

"Yup, I'm ready whenever you are!"

"Very well. My quirk has been identified as Blood Marionette, it is a hybrid quirk derived from my mother's Arachnia and my father's Blood Pact. With Arachnia, underneath each of my fingernails are three spinnerets that emit lightweight, elastic silk from multiple spigots that are connected to a silk gland located inside the third phalanx. If you look closely, you can see the differences in our nails and fingertips." Omar politely gave Midoriya one of his hands for him to inspect, noting the subtle differences in size and comparing his hand to his.

"That's crazy, I would've never guessed just by looking at your hands."

"With Blood Pact, my opponent and I's blood coalesces within my threads upon release making them lethal, even fatal; the more an opponent moves while bound the more blood is released, strengthening the threads themselves. My blood isn't normal because of my quirk and when activated it becomes searing, and while severing digits or limbs isn't out of the realm of possibility, I'd never consider doing so unless absolutely necessary."

"The U.A. Battle Royale! . . . "

"I wished Hado and Tamaki had taken me more seriously at the time, but we came to an understanding afterwards and are now on better terms."

"You know, when you were explaining your quirk and mentioned the word Arachnia I was expecting that you'd be more-"

"Spider-like?"

"Yeah, heh."

"It's true, my mother had eight appendages, piercing fangs, venom glands, and eight eyes with both lateral and median ocelli, yet I look as human as my father did. Genetics, like quirks, are perplexingly peculiar."

"And Blood Pact-"

"Yes, the scar on my face is a result of my quirk." As he spoke Omar unbuckled his eyepatch and lowered his mask under his chin, his face unabashedly in full-view, "When a user first uses Blood Pact, a seal burns itself somewhere on the body, for my father it was on his neck, as for me, well- you can see for yourself."

Midoriya never imagined he would get to look at Omar's scar this close, let alone allowing him to see it; the scar itself wasn't as bad as he previously thought from a distance, yet the repaired skin had multiple textures and depth that could only be seen this close up. To think Omar receiving something so painful at a young age plus years of implied ridiculing and built-up insecurities made Midoriya's heart hurt. Someone as kind as him didn't deserve a malicious upbringing.

"It even looks like a spider." He gently commented.

"That's how I came up with my hero name; Arachnophobia didn't make much sense in my opinion, but Hemophobia, with certain language barriers, may accidentally come off insensitive or prejudice, so I went with Thantophobia, the fear of death."

"Don't you think your hero name sounds a bit, evil? N-Not that I think it does, of course!"

"No, you have a point, I will admit creativity's never been my strong suit, regardless, I'm fully aware I'm not helping my case in appearing less villainous by my hero name and costume, but I hardly feel the need to justify myself simply because of how I look; a person, especially a hero, should be judged by their actions and how they treat others, not by their appearance. Besides, I'd like to think I'm about as insecure as everyone else- I'm quite content with how I look; I cover my face mainly to protect my skin and children's timidity."

"Your confidence is actually really admirable, and with a quirk like yours, you're already great hero!"

"Is that enough, though?"

"Huh-?"

"I don't blame your ignorance, many don't realize how comfortable their lives truly are; terrorism, corruption, hunger, disease, you hear of these atrocities and initiate once you've felt the agony of their cries, but what do you do? What can you do? How does one change the world for the better? They can't. That's the unfortunate truth. So now what? You inspire through your actions and your words, you create hope and determination out of nothing and rally the population, then through gritted teeth and sharpened claws do you devour animosity and strike despair into your oppressors until they're bare boned. Only through numbers and passion will things change, and if the igniter should fall victim to the brutality of the exploited system, then may the flame burn brighter for the reluctant. When Somalia becomes a country of justice, freedom, and equality, only then will I be worthy of calling myself a great hero."

What was this feeling that flooded Midoriya's body? Sadness? Aspiration? Why did Omar's words resonate so deeply within the pit of his stomach and throughout his heart? A staunching warmth that overwhelmed his soul and nearly brought him to his knees; everyone's cultivating words suddenly congealed and drove into him, opening up a whole new perspective. The pieces of an unfamiliar world were starting to come together, expanding the prowess of what being number one hero truly meant. Omar's statement repeated itself inside his head in his own voice: only then will a be worthy of calling myself a great hero.

A tear dropped from Midoroya's eye, "Do not cry, Deku." Omar comforted, wiping away the tear with his thumb, "We came here to study abroad not only for our benefit, but for yours, as well; while everything we learn might not be something we want to know, that information may come in handy someday. Although, I may have loaded too much on you at once, so I apologize." He softly chuckled.

"Ah, no, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to start crying."

"There's nothing wrong with expressing an emotion through crying. You should be thankful that you're capable of feeling with ease. If I could take a moment to embarrass myself, my heroics derive from All Might himself; a corner store I frequented in Bujumbura carried international publications so I would sit there and read about All Might all day." Mused Omar with a large, sublime grin.

Hearing that, however, made Midoriya sob in elation, "Me too, me too!" Which prompted Omar to frantically attempt calming him down.

When Midoriya exited the dormitories, the sun was beginning to set on the horizon, the blend of warm colors painting a scenic view over Ground Omega. He took a moment to revel in his hard work and all the information he succeeded in gathering while walking along the brick path, making his way towards his room to finally relax; the abroad students were a lot more complex and honest then he initially presumed, everyone had their own stories that they were more than willing to share with him and in the end was glad Shelby took the initiative for him. Although, she could've done so less abrasively. They all even had their own reasons on why they were studying to become a Pro Hero, some more personal than others whether through experience or conviction. Though there was something that wasn't sitting quite right with him, a feeling that had built up over the course of the day that he just couldn't shake.

**"**_**There you are! What are you waiting for? The world needs you!"**_ All Might's voice suddenly boomed from existence.

Midoriya peeked his head out of his notebook to see where his voice was coming from but he didn't see him around anywhere, then suddenly he felt someone bump into his shoulder to run past him and saw Bassam dressed in his hero costume ahead of him, then past his other shoulder came along Chelsea in her hero costume, and Fatima, Omar, Mickey, Estelle, Javier, Ximena, Arjan, Keali'i, Yemi, and Shelby all barraging past him and towards the sunlight following All Might's hardy laugh; through this strange occurrence his notebook slipped from his hands and dropped to the ground, the pages rapidly flipping over in the wind. The sound of the notebook hitting the brick brought him back to reality where he was alone, bending at the knees to pick up and closely clutch his notebook to his chest.

**"****I'm not that far behind . . . **_**Am I . . . ?**_**"**


	22. Groovy

As the evening approached the busy streets of Shizuoka, the sportive shadows nimbly frolicked against the high rises as the sun prepared for the tenuous hours ahead; while many arranged to unwind from their busy days, others had plans for debauchery even before the streetlights illuminated. While the absurdity of vices commenced, criminal activity was making headway in the most flamboyant of ways.

Just outside of a popular fashion store were a couple of police cars causing a stir for civilians passing by on the opposite side of the road, soon gathering cautiously around behind police lines to catch a glimpse of what was occurring. While the officers were standing by behind their car doors, bystanders whispered to exchange information about what they were hearing and seeing;

"Does anyone know what's going on?" Timidly inquired an older girl.

"Yeah, looks like there's been a series of robberies going on these past few nights but they can't seem to catch the guy." Said the middle-aged man standing in front of her.

"Yes sir, it looks like we've managed to corner him again," the officer spoke into his transmitter, "no doubt he's going to give us the slip again- requesting back up."

Suddenly, kicking through the double glass doors was a lanky, colorfully gaudy man with bold patterns and unfashionably, outdated clothing. He peered over his sunglasses with his odd mechanical, eyes and observed his surroundings, a wide grin stretching across his face, "Well, look who's decided to come and ruin my fun again. You pigs aren't gonna give up, are you?"

"It's over, Funk Mustang, you're not getting away this time!" Shouted one of the police officers.

"Get away with what? I haven't done anything." His smooth, auto-tuned voice elevated his crisp pop-and-locking, "Besides, I told you, if you want a piece of me, you're gonna have to win me over with your moves."

"We don't have time for this," mumbled one officer to the other as two more police vehicles pulled up and surrounded the store front, "he's pulling the same stunt as last time and no Pro Hero even wants to bother dealing with him!"

"What's the matter, pigs? Got cold feet? Two left-feet? You know you don't have what it takes to beat me!"

From a different view of the commotion, "Man, what's this guy's deal?" Questioned the young man locked arms with another man, "He robs stores just to look for people to dance with him?"

"I guess Funk Mustang isn't the brightest criminal." Lightly chuckled the other young man.

"You're really gonna leave me hanging like this?" Asked Funk Mustang, bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet, "Isn't there anyone out there who can out-groove me?"

Just then, from the large crowd of people, came a sharp whistle that blew past everyone and broke a small piece of concrete next to Funk Master's foot- a force that couldn't come from no ordinary human.

"Your moves are weak, Funk Mustang!" Shouted the older girl from earlier at a volume much louder than the average person could emit.

This insult infuriated Funk Mustang; he swiftly leaped on top of the hood of one of the police cars and over to the other side, **"****Who said that?! You ain't got nothing on me!"** He shouted into the unexacting crowd.

"I did!" The crowd scrambled out of the way to reveal Shelby standing there with her hands confidently on her hips, along with Keali'i, Arjan, and Yemi standing intimidatingly behind her. "I know what I said!"

"Hah! You think you can beat me, little girl?"

"I don't think, I know, and when I win, you have to turn yourself over to the police."

"Fine, but if I win, you can't show your faces around here ever again!"

"Pft- whatever."

"Uh, don't you think we should do something about this? We're not going to let innocent bystanders handle a dangerous criminal, are we?" Questioned a concerned officer.

"If all this weirdo wants to do is dance, then maybe we should give him what he wants. Besides, I don't think they're just regular citizens, that girl's quirk use was too precise." Responded the officer next to him.

"Wait, you don't really think they're-"

"_You're on!"_ Funk Mustang finalized loudly.

"Alright, but if your moves are anything like your music taste then I'm not dancing to **trash.**"

**"****T-Trash?!"**

"I'm choosing the beats so just try and keep up- y'all ready?" Shelby turned her head behind her to see Keali'i, Arjan, and Yemi sitting on the curb with their gear and devices already in hand.

"Ready when you are." Arjan chimed in while twirling his drumsticks.

"Let's hurry this up, we're already running late." Keali'i followed.

As Yemi adjusted a few faders and knobs on her console Arjan came in with the drums while Keali'i followed up with bassline, Shelby lightly swung her body side to side with the rhythm to keep her body moving as Funk Mustang moved along with her. Once Yemi's fingertips made contact with the selected performance pads on her console the music became harmoniously cohesive with the addition of Shelby's vocals, her dance moves succeeded with each effortless motion as she immaculately kept up with the beat, however, Funk Mustang was far from a novice and was able to mirror her moves without much resistance.

With the assistance of Siren, Shelby's quirk had enraptured the audience around her and captivated everyone with good, mellow feelings that synchronized melodiously with their funky song, and the louder she sung, the more people came in droves from becoming enthralled with the sound of her bubblegum voice. The garnered attention brought people from an indeterminate radius to gather around and watch the frivolous battle, none of which wavered Shelby or Funk Mustang.

The ripe emotions enveloping within everyone there incidentally caused people to dance along to the music; from civilians to Pro Heroes, the infectious groove spread expeditiously and turned a small corner of Shizuoka into a nightclub, and once the media had their attention grabbed, those who weren't able to witness the event live could feel like they were part of the audience. Every household, business, dormitory, and teacher's lounge tuning into any news outlet could spectate the performance and experience firsthand what Japan wasn't remotely prepared for.

During the second verse, their moves became more energetic and dynamic but Funk Mustang wasn't about to give up so easily, and despite tirelessly working up a sweat, Shelby couldn't let him get too cocky- this wasn't his concert or his audience, she was going to make sure he'd regret this challenge and his exorbitant choices. Within the last few lines, she outsmarted him in the most florid of ways by sweeping him off his feet and flattening him on his back; with a hard fall, bags of money flew out of his person and scattered in the street.

The audience erupted in emphatic cheers watching Funk Mustang crawl away backwards up against the police vehicles while Shelby was finishing up the song. As they basked in the crowd's optimism, the music dwindled down to the last few notes as Shelby finished up with a few polished dance moves before boldly posing. This was their win.

"Evildoers eat your hearts out- We are, Suit As Sugar!" Shelby pleasantly gasped.

The three of them got up from their seats and lovingly stood next to Shelby, acknowledging the audience's ovation with the combination of their group name being chanted. The police were fulfilling their duties by placing the handcuffed Funk Mustang into one of the four police cars while the other's were collecting the evidence off the road and controlling the excited bystanders. Just as they were about to disappear into the crowd and return to school, a police officer started running towards them;

"E-Excuse me! I'm sorry, Suit As Sugar, was it? Thank you for helping us deal with that criminal, we've been having trouble catching him and no other Pro Hero seemed to have been any help-"

**"****OUT OF MY WAAAAAAAAY!"** From beyond a cluster of citizens on the adjacent side of the road rushed a reporter along with her cameraman over to the four of them, completely disregarding the police officer as they legally bunted him out of their way. "Wait! Do you have time to give a few words for NHA?! After giving such a spectacular performance and defeating that wacky criminal, Suit As Sugar is well on their way on to becoming the new number ones!" Quite obviously enchanted by Shelby's Siren quirk, the fast-talking, excited news reporter hounded them with praise and compliments without any regards to their audience.

**"**_**New number ones?"**_Growled Endeavor under his breath as he tightly clenched his fist against the arm of his office chair; he already knew non-Pro Heroes couldn't qualify for the JP Hero Billboards Chart, but hearing the new reporter have the audacity to suggest something so abhorrent in such an enthusiastic tone made his blood begin to boil.

"_We'll see about __**that.**__"_ Aizawa seethed, getting up from the couch where Midnight and Present Mic also sat and looking at him along with Vlad, Snipe, Ectoplasm, and Cementoss in confusion. He was already furious that they had broken several school rules under his authority and he wasn't about to allow them to get egotistical about their sudden popularity.

While Keali'i quickly launched himself back and forth off of abandoned buildings down an empty street, Yemi used her quirk to create a mirage around them to prevent the group from being noticed, "We're _so_ screwed, we were supposed to be back before the streetlights came on!"

"What are they gonna do? They can't expel us for this." Arjan commented, clutching onto Keali'i's back along with Yemi and Shelby.

"That doesn't mean we're not gonna be in a hell of alot trouble- did you forget who are teacher is, and for all we know U.A. Japan's rules could be totally different!" Shelby exclaimed.

"Knock it off back there!" Keali'i chided, "As long as everybody keeps calm we'll get through this!"

"Right, look, I can already see the school from here we're gonna be fine."

With one final leap, the four of them were across the street from the school and projected down to the front of the gates where no one else was around- until Aizawa appeared from out of nowhere and blocked their path. They cried out at the sight of their angry teacher and prompted Keali'i to slow down to avoid crashing into him, and once he slid to a full stop they froze up and shook where they stood in fright.

"Are you four trying to make my life miserable?!"

"W-We can explain-!" Yemi interjected.

"Did you really think I wouldn't see your little stunt?!"

"It's just- We were trying-!" Stunted Arjan.

"You have no idea how screwed you guys are."

Keali'i shuffled his feet and attempted to use his quirk to launch over him and avoid any more confrontation for the evening, but he was left stirring in place without moving vertically.

"K-Keali'i? What's wrong?" Arjan nervously mumbled, watching their alternative plan crumble in front of them as Aizawa roped them together with his scarf and dragged them over to him.

"Did you think you could avoid getting in trouble until tomorrow? That you could use your quirk to get past me without realizing that my quirk can temporarily erase yours?!"

Knowing that the scolding wouldn't end or be delayed, Shelby, Yemi, Arjan, and Keali'i allowed themselves to be tied into a chain-gang contraption and walked through the quiet campus, accepting their fate. There wasn't much to argue with what Aizawa was saying, but when his rant trickled into into federal laws, that's when Keali'i felt he had to step in.

"That's not correct, we didn't break any laws- we stretched them, sure, but we followed through accordingly."

"Oh so now you're an expert on Shizuoka's laws? This isn't Hawaii or New Zealand, things work differently here-"

"You're not going to scare us into behaving when we didn't do anything wrong outside of school."

"So you think talking back to me is going to save you?"

"I'm stating the facts! According to the Law Of Japan's Criminal Code, General Part, statue Law Of Hero Involvement- Article One, Section Three: If a person has been granted their Provisional Hero License, the document holder is allowed to use their quirks for heroic activities under recognition of the federal law. If, in the case we didn't have our PHL's, we'd still be protected under Article One, Section Four of the Law Of Hero Involvement, which states that in emergency situations citizens are permitted to use their quirks if the act is nonviolent and nondestructive. Our performance didn't result in injuries, casualties, or property damage!"

"That legal jargon isn't going to work-"

"Aht aht, Mr. Aizawa, it wouldn't be fair to dismiss Mr. Ho'omalu's argument, especially when you're in the wrong."

"Principal Nezu?" The four students pointed out simultaneously.

"That's right," he confirmed while perched on Aizawa's shoulder from behind, "and as my fur is soft and fuzzy, you're one-hundred percent correct! I have to admit, when I divulged deeper into your file after discovering your affiliation with business and law, I was hoping I'd get to see you flex those muscles and not just your physical ones!"

"Oh, uh, t-thank you."

"Also, I hope you realize they aren't the only ones who's in trouble- you're supposed to be keeping a close eye on your students, after all, which includes keeping track of their whereabouts on and off campus; had you been on top of things, they wouldn't have gotten permission to leave without an adult and returned late." Nezu's voice was calm and chipper, paired with his threatening aura made his exchange with Aizawa terrifying.

"Alright, alright!" Aizawa gave in, sighing, "So maybe I messed up, and maybe I went too hard on you guys. Sorry."

"Perfect! Now that that's settled, you four won't be able to leave school grounds for two weeks!"

**"****Two weeks?!"** Shelby and Arjan exclaimed before being physically reprimand by Yemi and Keali'i, **"**_**Ouch!"**_

"Thank you, Principal Nezu." Yemi and Keali'i bowed, pushing down Shelby and Arjan's necks to bow with them.

After Aizawa untied them, they split off into different directions and made their way to their dormitories, until the four students were stopped by a mob of students who began heavily admiring them on their latest performance and lavishing them in commendations.

"Why do you encourage them to act that way?" Murmured Aizawa.

"There's no wrong way to act like a hero, what matters is fulfilling your duties and saving the day."

"Aren't they just going to get themselves hurt?"

"Is that what this is about? I didn't expect you to get attached to your abroad students that quickly!"

"W-What's that supposed to mean? It's not like that!"

"You have to remember, we didn't pick these students at random; they proved tirelessly that they are quite capable of standing alongside Pro Heroes. I think Suit As Sugar is doing what they do best, and succeeding."


	23. Research

"Given this year's circumstances, I hope you all can understand why it'd be inappropriate of me to show you your analytics from the U.A. Battle Royale!" A couple days later, just after Aizawa had addressed his class and the students settled into their seats, he properly began going over the results and implementing his constructive criticisms as simply as possible so that each student could understand their mistakes. "If it's any consolation, your previous experience both during training and on the field has given you a significant advantage in regards to placements, so be thankful most of you are with heroes you've already studied under. As for you four," Aizawa conveyed in regards to the international students while walking between the second row of desks.

"Uh- y-yeah?" Arjan stuttered.

"Principal Nezu wants to see you."

"-Are we in trouble?" Innocently asked Javier.

"N-No no, nothing like that!" Vlad fretted, "He just wants to see you to discuss your work training, that's all."

"-Shouldn't we've seen Principal Nezu before class, then?" Questioned Chelsea as she secured her braid to her head.

"I sincerely apologize, us teachers were only informed about the exchange earlier this morning." Reported Class 3-A's homeroom teacher.

"Ah, don't worry, we'll be back here before you know it! Yallah!" Bassam chimed.

As the four of them got up from their seats and exited the classroom, they were surprised to see the rest of the international students waiting for them outside their door.

"What took youse so long?" Chortled Mickey.

"Oh no, you weren't waiting long, were you?" Asked Fatima.

"Nah, they're just messing with you," Yemi responded, bumping against Mickey with her elbow, "we just got here ourselves."

"So has anyone else had to see their principal for their internships or-" Estelle beckoned from Ximena's tail, sitting along Mickey and Javier as they began heading towards Principal Nezu's office.

"Under our circumstances it's possible we may have to take more steps in order to receive our paperwork, or perhaps there was some sort of mix-up." Articulated Omar.

"Guess that makes sense." Commented Arjan.

"I hope it's not anything bad." Ximena muttered.

"Principal Nezu? We're here." Keali'i called out, knocking on the door before entering.

The twelve students entered inside of his office and gathered in the middle of the room as he was nowhere to be seen, his desk was empty.

"Hola?" Javier peeped.

"Ah, yes, hello!" Nezu shouted, sounding as though he was out of breath. The short creature climbed up onto his chair with a huff then clasped his hands together, "Sorry about that, I was arranging some things. Now, I want to thank you for coming here on such short notice in regards to your internships."

"Is there a problem?" Asked Yemi.

"Well, how do I put this . . . You see, we had integrated tight systems before initiating The International Rising Heroes Championship to make sure no issues would come up during your abroad studies, including your internships. Apparently, after viewing your performances during the U.A. Battle Royale," Nezu leaned over in his chair struggling to bring up overflowing folders and stacking them in front of the students, "the Pro Heroes of Japan were so impressed by your actions that nearly every hero in Tokyo applied for each of you." After placing the last folder on top of the stack, the desk cracked in half under the weight and frightened the international students. "As you could imagine, these so-called professionals have decided they were no longer going to follow set regulations and fight over you like bargain bin deals. So, in order to make things much easier for all of you-" Nezu grabbed a small stack of colorful folders much neater and shorter than the ones scattered everywhere, handing the stack to Shelby who took the initiative to hand them out to everyone. "I've personally gone through and narrowed down lists of heroes and organized them according to those closest to each your quirks and skill sets."

As everyone took their labeled folders they flipped through the pages with concerned and confused expressions;

"Um, Principal Nezu," Fatima softly voiced, "while we're more than grateful for your efforts to make things easier-"

"'Ow the hell are we supposed to choose an agency when we don't even know who any of these bastards are?!" Groaned Mickey, twisting and turning the folder as pages folded down like a centerfold then out like a map.

"Take this as a perfect opportunity to get more aquatinted with your peers- use this time to talk with other students and get their insight on heroes you're most curious about, and I suppose of you're looking for some real dirt you could persuade your teachers." Nezu nonchalantly suggested.

After meeting with Principal Nezu about their internships, the international students spent the entire day figuring out which hero agency they were going to go with and spend the week at, but some of them found themselves more frustrated than satisfied with their options.

Fatima sighed, "Why do I feel like I'm left choosing an agency by throwing a dart and going where ever it lands?" She leaned over her desk and rested her chin gently on the desk top.

"You'd think that by studying in another country there'd be heroes with your same quirk." Chelsea remarked, twirling a strand of her hair with her index finger.

Outside, near the P.E. Grounds, "I never imagined there'd be so many reptile heroes here!" Ximena overwhelmingly noted out loud as she flipped through the pages of her folders.

"Same with mineral heroes, I thought this was supposed to easier?" Replied Estelle.

"At least youse got heroes like you!" Ranted Mickey, throwing their folder up in the air in frustration.

"Wasn't there were a few you decided on after talking to those third years?"

"I guess? 'Thinkin' I might fossick some more good oil- no way I wanna come a guster 'ere."

"Aw man, I can't wait to dive into the Pacific! Just thinking about all new creatures I'll find and the snacks I'll get to munch on- I can hardly wait!" Bassam excitedly broadcasted as his side head fins wiggled gleefully, walking along the landscape island wall with his arms held out to his side for balance.

"Seems like a happy coincidence that we're studying abroad on an island." Beamed Omar behind his mask.

"Too bad you couldn't pair with, what was his name again, Best Jeanist? You two practically have the same quirks!"

"It's unfortunate, but if his injuries were as severe as they said they were, then his recovery is far more important."

"That's true, and Javi-" Both Bassam and Omar turned their attention behind them where Javier was lingering a few feet away from them, a pessimistic aura surrounding his person.

"Don't tell me you're still worried- you're going to be fine!"

"It's one thing to be picked by Japan's number one hero, it's another to find out he's known for being conceded, intimidating, and even rude! He's gonna make a pichanga out of me!"

"While that may be true, you've also heard testimonies that he's improving himself as a hero; although you have every right to be nervous, perhaps you are overthinking things."

"Omar's right, and besides, you don't have to go with him if you don't want to! I'm sure there's plenty of other fiery heroes to choose from!"

Javier stood there in silence for a moment before emitting a high pitched whine that devolved into muffled cries once his face made contact with Omar's chest. Omar and Bassam looked at each other- confused about what he had said that made Javier react like that.

"Hey Shelby," Keali'i whispered from behind his book, ducking down in his desk to hide himself, "you decide who you're going to go with yet?"

"I think so- I mean, there was only Mirko and one other hero I was going to go with-" As Shelby peeked over the top of her book, Present Mic had written 'Please pick me!' on the board in English for the students to repeat out loud, shooting out double finger guns while looking in her direction, "and I don't have it in me to break his heart."

"Speaking of making inevitable choices, are you going with you-know-who?" Arjan whispered towards Keali'i.

"Don't even mention him." He sighed, "As much as I really don't want to, I feel I don't have much of a choice. Besides, I'll never hear the end of it if I don't."

"You don't know how it's gonna go," Yemi followed up in a hushed tone of voice, "maybe things are different now."

Keali'i groaned as he let his head slump forward, slamming his forehead against his desk top before the open book fell against his head and slid off and back onto the desk.

Within the past few days, discomfort inside 1-A's living quarters had relaxed as the energy once housed prior to the international students arrival slowly restored itself; students were no longer on edge at the sight or mere thought of running into their classmates in their shared living space. In the common room, both the abroad and Japan students were mingling together trying to establish an acquaintanceship with anyone who was willing to open up after the group's redundant scheme.

"Shelby, Shelby, Shelby! There's some thing I gotta tell you!" Announced Mina as she rushed to the other side the room.

"Hm? What is it?" She responded sincerely, sitting across from Yemi while they buffed each other's manicured nails.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a long time now but I think now's the perfect opportunity to say this . . . Shelby, you're- so jacked!"

Shelby curiously looked down at her own biceps and abs which were exposed by her spandex cropped tank top, recognizing her bulk from her shoulders down to her calves.

"Mina's right, I'd do anything for muscles like that, well, maybe not anything." Hagakure cheekily added.

"I don't think there's any other girl that goes here with muscles like yours! I'm so jealous!" Uraraka beamed.

"Aw, thank you! You guys are sweet!" Shelby giggled, flexing her arms for her admirers; as the girls awed, Kirishima could be heard astonishing at the sight of her biceps from afar.

"Look at this, you're built like a damn fortress!" Mina exclaimed while playfully punching at her solid abdomen, "Shelby, arm wrestle me!"

The girls moved over to one of the tables where the students ate their meals and sat perpendicular from each other before Mina and Shelby rested their elbows on the table top and locked hands. Yemi placed her hands on top of theirs, "Ready? Go!" then let go at her call. Mina struggled to push down Shelby's arm but without much effort, Shelby pulled down Mina's arm and knocked it lightly against the table.

"Man, I didn't have a fighting chance." She whimpered.

"My turn, my turn!" Uraraka chimed, switching positions with Mina. Again, Yemi's hands met Shelby's and Uraraka's then pushed them away after her signal, but just like Mina, she too lost to Shelby's strength. "So jealous." She cried.

"Sorry-"

"Hey Shelby, how about you take a crack at some real muscle?!" Interjected Kaminari from the center of the room.

Jiro snickered, "You think your arms are bigger than hers?" She teased.

"H-Hey! What are you laughing about?!"

After switching places with Uraraka and getting comfortably into position, Kaminari ended up proving he was more bark than bite as he contended to outmatch Shelby and lost. His devastation led him to the corner of the room where he sulked, even Sero's comforting wasn't cheering him up.

"I think you're due for a real challenge, would't ya' say?" Kirishima grinned as he cracked his knuckles.

"You're on!" Beamed Shelby.

Without using his quirk, Kirishima delivered when he'd promised to give Shelby a worthy one-on-one, their determination was truly unmatched, but in an unexpected turn of events Shelby managed to get the upper hand and conquered her competitor effectively.

He supplicated himself, "Please, please teach me the ways of your gains."

"No." She responded while giving his forehead a light bop.

Kaminari and Kirishima weren't the only boys who decided to test their might against their American classmate, others put their hands into makeshift competition and found her strength something to behold win after win, only when Sato got his chance was she faced with a difficult feat; this was a battle of muscle and quirk use was dishonorable and unmanly, according to Kirishima. After lots of leveraging and bubble gum snapping, Shelby reigned victoriously as the girls of 1-A prided in their newfound brawn.

"Aren't you guys going to give it a shot?" Ojiro asked Arjan and Keali'i who had been minding their own business while nestled together on one of the couches.

"Someone as grand as you has a much better chance than any of us, Keali'i." Glittered Aoyama.

"We'd prefer not getting our arms snapped in half." Arjan responded.

"Mhm." Followed up Keali'i.

Just when thinks looked bleak for the boys, Shoji made a surprise entry as he suddenly sat in the empty seat across from Shelby.

"T-This isn't fair, Shoji has more than two arms!" She cried out, but he had already prepared for her rebuttal and extended out one arm from his extremities. With a shaky hand she took hold of his appendage and as Yemi made her final call for the evening, Shelby let her hand be pushed effortlessly down against the table in seconds," I humbly accept my loss." She grieved.

"I-I wasn't going to go too hard on you Shelby-" Faltered Shoji.

"You big baby." Yemi sighed, tugging on Shelby's bangs.

As the night came to an end and everyone began going to their rooms for bed, Tokoyami became nervous as he noticed he was being followed in the direction of his room.

"Hey Tokoyami-" Keali'i solicited from behind him. He stopped dead in his tracks, even his voice was intimidating, making turning around to face him uneasy; he didn't think Keali'i even knew his name. Cautiously, Tokoyami shifted around and looked up to meet him eye to eye, his body stiffening up at sight of his indistinguishable body. _Compared to him, Keali'i was an acropolis._

"Hey, sorry about bothering you so late, I know I should've said something earlier but this felt like the best time to ask."

_Ask him? Ask him what? What could he possibly want to know from someone like him? No, that wasn't fair to either of them, he was better than that and needed to give Keali'i the benefit of the doubt._

"W-What did you want to ask me . . . ?"

"Sooo this might be a lost cause but do you have an agency you regularly go to for your internships or work studies? I'm only asking because the hero I'm studying under has been wanting you too as well."

_There was a hero other than Hawks who wanted him? This was news of him, he never recalled any hero in past expressing desire to have him at their agency, but if this was a hero Keali'i was picked from, the chances of studying under someone great was immense even if he had no idea who the hero could possibly be. This feeling, the appeal to his character that made others want to partner and team up with him, was exhilarating. Although he felt he was loyal to Hawk's agency, given the current circumstances that don't allow him to study or work under him personally, perhaps this could be an opportunity of a lifetime._

"There is an agency . . . b-but, I want to go where you're going! Please, Keali'i!" Once he heard his answer Keali'i had no idea Tokoyami would grab onto his arm and plead to him with the rest of his answer. He tried not making a big deal out of this, because in his head it wasn't, but he couldn't stand to be uncomfortable, not when Tokoyami was like this.

Keali'i sighed, rubbing the back of his neck under his thick hair, "Alright, I'll let 'em know when I get the chance."

"Before you go, though, could you tell me which hero it is?"

"I will, but uh, you're gonna need a lot of context. I think it'll make more sense when I show you."

"I don't- I don't understand-?" _What has Tokoyami possibly gotten himself into . . . ? _


End file.
